Our Hearts Aflame
Jesus in the Gospel of Luke uses the image of fire to describe his mission on earth. His words were uttered many centuries ago, but we still sense the passion and the intensity, when he tells of a burning desire in his heart, “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!”
In the same way, Francis’ passion in imitating Jesus Christ can still be felt even now by his followers. His great love today, still burns, still cares deeply, and touches with compassion. If we truly give our attention in prayer, we can see in Jesus and Francis the blazing passion that the followers saw long ago. After the first All Commission’s Conference in 1999, the SFO’s passion was ignited! The sharing of thoughts and experiences in their ministries and the exchange of ideas brought so much inspiration to those who attended. We felt committed to make a difference. We clearly understood the essence of family life, which is being a gift to others. The SFO’s commitment to live the Gospel life that reflects Francis and Clare is lived in our everyday lives - in our own families.
Today, as we look around there is still so much work to be done. The family – the most fundamental unit of society – has been severely weakened over the last decade. The crisis facing the family is one of the most important challenges facing the Church today. Recent statistics bear this truth. Broken families, teen pregnancy, abortion, child abuse, sex abuse, domestic violence, terrorism that has left feeling of insecurity amongst families. Today’s violence is so overwhelming that many of us feel powerless in responding - that there is little if anything we can do to keep the family strong. But we can make a difference! We can become powerful within ourselves; we can do a better job of teaching our children and others in the ways of peace and love.
Joined together, our power is enormous. Our greatest point of power is within our hearts and souls. So it is so important that our passion, that was ignited in 1999, be inflamed again to be effective in promoting peace and strength in our families. The more we learn about peacemaking, the more we will grow in peace, power, and love. So again we want to be on fire with love for God and on fire for Jesus Christ. Like those men on the road to Emmaus, let us get our hearts aflame and keep them burning without getting burned out. But we also know what it is like to be burned out -“…uninspired, unenthused, and cold inside.”1
Let us not be discouraged by the darkness that wishes to embrace the family institution - the collapse of marriages, the acceptance of same sex marriage, and co-habitation, for we know the eternal Fire Starter is with us. We hear His words again, “I come to bring fire…!”
At our upcoming All Commissions Conference, in June, in Denver, our hearts will be rekindled. But, of course, our longing cannot be compared with the magnitude of His longing to see it done. “If we hang around with Him, sooner or later we’ll go up into flames." And those around us will see the light and feel the warmth. And those we serve will catch that fire, too!”1
1. The Ongoing Work of Jesus by James Kisher
Questions for reflection:
- With our hearts aflame after the ACC 2004, how can we let our family, our community catch that fire too?
- Have you experienced the purifying love of Jesus? Cite an example.