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Today we honor a great saint, St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (or the Jesuit congregation). Like St. Ignatius, we are called to abandon everything, to leave everything behind to follow Jesus.
The name Ignatius comes from a Latin word that means “someone who ignites, someone who sets things on fire.” The difference between an arsonist and Ignatius is that an arsonist sets things on fire to destroy, while Ignatius sets things on fire to bring life, to bring out goodness. Let us ask the Lord to set us on fire. But on fire for what?
First, we are called to be on fire for unity. When there is one flame here and another flame there, and you put the flames together, the flames do not put each other out. They harmonize; they become one flame, a bigger flame. So it should be with us. While we are on fire and we meet another person who is on fire, there should be a meeting of hearts, there should be harmony, and there should be oneness. When we burn with the spirit of unity, may our hearts be on fire for oneness.
Fire also cleanses. It purifies. That is why we cook food by subjecting it to fire. We must be on fire with purity. Not only purity that is chastity, but purity that is also honesty and sincerity. Purity also means generosity. The Gospel says that the Kingdom of God cannot be found by those who are lazy. Only those who go all the way, those who are pure of heart, can discover the Kingdom of God.
The third thing about fire that we should ask of the Lord, through St. Ignatius of Loyola, is that our hearts be on fire with courage. We can be tempted to become lukewarm. On the day our hearts no longer burn with fire, many others will be shivering from the cold.
We ask St. Ignatius to set us on fire — the fire of unity, the fire of purity, and the fire of courage.
SET THE FIRE
Lk 3:16
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