Jesus came to light a fire on this earth. How He wishes the blaze were ignited! (Lk 12:49) Easter began on Easter Vigil in total darkness. Then the new fire was blessed, the Paschal candle lit, and the fire spread throughout the church as hundreds of candles were lit. This is a picture of the Easter season and the Christian life. We must let the risen Jesus light a fire in our hearts, then we must light fires throughout the world.
Jesus begins to light our fire through His word. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus exclaimed: "Were not our hearts burning inside us as He talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?" (Lk 24:32) We recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread (Lk 24:35). Then we are fired up with tongues as of fire, as the Holy Spirit is poured out (Acts 2:3). On fire for Jesus, we try to spread the blaze to as many people as possible.
Jesus will show us how to make a fire. He may tell us to run through the streets proclaiming His resurrection (Acts 2), pull up a lame man from his stretcher (Acts 3), sell our houses and/or property (Acts 4), risk our lives (Acts 5 and 7), visit a bitter enemy and persecutor (Acts 9), or share the gospel with a total stranger, even an Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8) or your prison guard (Acts 16). By obeying Jesus, we will set the world afire.
| PRAYER: | Father, spark a fire in my heart through Your word. Ignite a worldwide blaze through me. |
| PROMISE: | "No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws him; I will raise him up on the last day." –Jn 6:44 |
| PRAISE: | Dominic so followed the promptings of the Spirit that he was able to spread God's love throughout the Midwestern United States. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College