Radical Decision to Change the Direction of Our Life

08-17-2025Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

I come to set the earth on fire. Fire symbolizes many things: First, there are destructive fires that cause significant damage to property, homes, buildings, and other structures. And forest fires, like the Dragon Bravo Forest Fire at Grand Canyon National Park, which started on the 4th of July, 2025, and has burned approximately 141,000 acres. It is now the largest wildfire in the Grand Canyon area managed by firefighters. Second, the benefits of fire for cooking food for the hungry, providing heat for those in the cold, purifying waters, and giving light to homes where there is no electricity. Lastly, fire ignites combustion engines that help transport people and material goods. But the fire that the Lord speaks of is the radical decision to change our life’s direction, the fire in the heart of the believer.

In context, Jesus uses fire to symbolize the passion and love in their highest form. We use words such as the heat of passion and the burning fire of love to describe the feeling of intense love. To understand what Jesus meant in the Gospel, let us examine how the Semitic culture uses it in their dialogue. In Sacred Scripture, (Dt. 4:24) The Lord our God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. In Ex. 3:2, Yahweh appears to Moses in a burning bush. And Ex. 3:21, a pillar of fire blocks the path of the Egyptians against the Israelites, a symbol of God’s presence and protection. The last symbolic meaning for fire in the Scriptures is cleansing, purification, and transformation to a perfect state.

In the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi predicted that the Messiah-King would be like a refiner’s fire purifying the sons of the Levitical priesthood. In the Acts of the Apostles, at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles like tongues of fire, allowing them to speak or understand different languages. From that time on, they became courageous witnesses, proclaiming the Gospel of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, even willing to die for it. The desire to continue the mission Jesus received from the Father leveled up after the disciples received the fire of the Holy Spirit. Transforming them into a new creation, cleansed and purified to be children sharing divine sonship. The last image fulfills the prophecy of John the Baptist: Someone greater than me is coming; He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire.

In the Gospel, the Lord invites us to decide and change the course of our lives toward His kingdom. The decision urges us to go beyond the status quo and take the path of solid commitment. Jesus wants us to go out of our comfort zones and be on fire. The fire of the Holy Spirit should purify and transform us to become better Christians.

On fire with zeal. St. Ignatius of Loyola instructed missionaries who were leaving for the mission, like St. Francis Xavier: Go, set the world on fire. The passion for the mission, to proclaim the Kingdom of God, was the hallmark of many missionary saints.

Today, Jesus invites would-be disciples who are neither cold nor lukewarm to set the world on fire like Him; He wants disciples who are on fire. To be on FIRE is to make a radical decision to change the direction of one’s life, a mission for the Kingdom of God.