“I have come to cast fire on earth, and what more could I want than that it be enkindled?” (Luke 12:49).
These are mysterious words of Christ. And perhaps the verses that follow are even more mysterious. The Peacemaker, the Christ gentle and humble of heart, predicts that because of His message, there will be some kind of division—father against son, son against father, and so forth (cf. Lk 12:52-3).
This fire that Christ is talking about refers to the Christian life. And we know that the Christian life is ultimately based on love of God. But it is not the sugar-candy type of sentimental love; it is a strong and solid love, which is symbolized by fire.
Fire is a dynamic and energetic force that necessarily affects whatever it touches and all of its surroundings. If fire does not ignite and burn the things around it, it at least succeeds in raising the temperature.
This enigmatic phase of Our Lord can have some practical applications for our daily living.
The first Christians well understood the comparison with fire. Being a very small and insignificant minority in pagan surroundings, they influenced those around them through their apostolic zeal based on their love for the Master.
They started with those closest to them—it is not surprising that if one member of the family became a Christian, slowly and gradually, other members also began to embrace the faith.
They would see the exemplary life and bearing of the Christian, and they would be attracted to the same belief and way of life. In this sense, apostolate is like fire, because it seeks to enkindle those around us with the same love for God.
But have you ever observed the charred remains of what was once a blazing bonfire? There is no more dynamism, no more energy, in the charcoal and ashes of a fire that has died down. If it retains any warmth at all, we know that it will soon be dissipated and engulfed by the surroundings atmosphere.
Besides passing on the flame, the Christian has the serious duty to make sure that his own fire is always blazing. We cannot help others, we cannot bring others close to the light of God, if we neglect our own spiritual life.
That is why the first duty of the apostle is to make sure that his own life is ablaze with the flame of divine love. And he will do this by devoting some time and effort exclusively to the cultivation of that flame. That is why there is a need to take care of the spiritual exercise and acts of piety and devotion proper of the Christian spirit.