A young man who aspired to become a priest someday entered a seminary. All his family, relatives and friends were happy with his decision except for one person, the young man's father. His father never wanted him to become a priest. At his father's deathbed, he was asked to leave the seminary to follow the dream of his father i.e., to perpetuate their family name. When his father died, he finally left the seminary to give in to his father's last request.
My dear friends, our Gospel, Luke 12:49-53 confirms as a matter of fact that in following Jesus, conflict arises even between or among family members. Jesus Himself declared that He came to cast fire upon the earth, to give not peace but division. Just like what I said in the story, a son's decision to follow Jesus as a priest was in conflict with his father's wish for him. If the son really would stand for Jesus, he would find himself going against his father as his father would go against him. There would be division between them. Here, instead of making his father understand his love for priesthood, the son gave up his love for priesthood just to have peace between them. In a father and son relationship, the decision of the young man was noble. But in relationship with Jesus, the young man's decision was ignoble. In short, our Gospel reminds us that we rather have rest with Jesus than have peace without Him. This is not an easy choice but we must choose for the love of Jesus. Amen.
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