The Erroneous Message of 'Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward Men'
The Division of Christianity
Photo By: Flickr/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
I think that most of us miss the point of today's Gospel altogether, or we misrepresent it to suit our own sentimentalized ideas of what it truly means to be Christian. There is unity to be found in Christianity, but it is a unity that is found based on the acceptance of the Father's will, not our own. Those who live according to their own standards might find a temporal acceptance from society and the superficial, but Christians living for Christ will always be divided from that human idea of Christianity and they will always be shunned and demonized by the culture.
It is okay, Jesus did come to divide but for those who live in his love and Truth, he reigns as the Prince of Peace. You see, Jesus gives us an inner spiritual peace, that cannot be found in this world. It can only be found from within. It cannot be found separate from Christ, who is Truth itself. So, if we are not united with Christ and the Father's Divine will, we will always be divided to some degree from Christ and the Father.
We must stop looking to satisfy our own wants and desires and instead focus on the Will of the Father, and when we do we will find the Peace that Christ came to give those who are in union with Him and His Church. We can find peace even in the Cross, His and our own, if we bear them together for the Glory of the Father and don't bow down to the earthly delights found in a devotion to this world and her inhabitants, because honestly this world has no clue what true peace really is, and never will.
How I wish it were blazing already! Luke 12:49-53
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already! There is a baptism I must still receive, and how great is my distress till it is over!
‘Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on a household of five will be divided: three against two and two against three; the father divided against the son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’
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I am a wife and mother of two grown sons. Although I am Cradle Catholic, I experienced a profound reversion to the True faith several years ago that motivated and inspired me to dive more deeply into an understanding of the Church and Her teachings, and why She has these teachings and where they come from. Surprisingly, for me, the more I read and discovered, the deeper my love of the Catholic Church and her teachings became. This certainly is a journey that doesn't end, and so as I uncover more amazing facts about our Faith and Church, I just can't help but want to share what I'm learning. So, I began writing for Catholic 365.
I have recently served for a year and a half as the Executive Director of a very active and busy Crisis Pregnancy Center on the West side of Cincinnati. God is so good and does answers prayers, even though He knows at times, we have no idea what we are asking for. The pro life cause is paramount to our times, I am so honored and humbled to have had the experience and opportunity to serve women and the unborn in this capacity! I am also very grateful to God, for allowing me to see for myself, that perhaps such a calling was not His long term plan for me. We go where God seeminly calls us, and for me, that was a return to corporate America. I currently work as a recruiter and sales onboarding specialist where I am helping a Franchising company open and support small businesses that serve seniors and the elderly, giving them opportunities to age in place and live thier final chapters with dignity. It is the other end of the pro life spectrum and such an amazing endeavor!
I love being able to share this great faith of ours and use this platform as a way to express my deep love and devotion to our Lord. We need each other, and this effort has truly become a wonderful way to connect with all of you- my brothers and sisters in Christ!
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