Twentieth Ordinary

Luke 12: 49 – 50

Jesus said, “I’ve come to start a fire on earth – how I wish it were blazing right now! I’ve come to change everything, turn everything right-side up – how I long for it to be finished! Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I’ve come to disrupt and confront.”

These aren’t words of comfort – they are words of urgency and conviction. Jesus is not speaking of destruction, but of transformation. The fire he is brings is the passionate energy of the Gospel: justice, truth, mercy, and radical love. It is meant to disrupt, to purify, to awaken.

As Catholic educators, this fire must be at the heart of our vocation. We are not just tasked with curriculum delivery or classroom management. We are called to be bearers of this fire – to kindle it in the hearts of our students, our colleagues, and even ourselves. Our work is sacred, and it demands courage.

Catholic schools are not meant to be comfortable places. They are meant to be courageous ones – where difficult questions are welcomed, where students are challenged to grow, and where a deeper purpose is always present. The fire of the Gospel should unsettle us when we settle for less than love, less than justice, less than Christ.

So where does this fire need to be kindled in your school? In a student who feels invisible? In a staffroom conversation that’s overdue? In your own sense of purpose? Teaching is demanding, but Jesus’ words remind us: it’s not supposed to be easy. It’s supposed to matter.

This week, don’t just teach. Lead. Witness. Challenge. Encourage. Light the spark – not with noise, but with authenticity and conviction. The world has enough neutral voices. What it needs is teachers with fire in their hearts and the courage to pass it on.