Let us set the world ablaze with love.

Let us set the world ablaze with love.
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Jesus said, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” (Lk. 12:49).

What kind of fire is Jesus talking about?

Jesus talking about the fire of Divine love ablaze in man.

"On the day of Pentecost:

There appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:3-4).

The Apostles were   on fire with the Holy Spirit.

Our Lady  is a beautiful example of this life in the Spirit.

She was the Temple of the Holy Trinity!

Hearth of the divine fire!

She is a dwelling place for God, holding within her   the great love of the Trinity.

Being on fire with the Holy Spirit is not reserved to Mary or to the apostles alone.

St. Paul exhorts us:

“be aglow with the Spirit” (Rm 12:11).

So all of us are expected to be ablaze with the love of God.

  Burning brand is not fire,  but it is one with fire.

It is nearly indistinguishable from the fire because it has the same fiery redness.

It emanates an intense heat, having received it from the fire it is burning with.

In the same way,  we can be one with God.

When we are with the Holy Spirit, we are ablaze with the same fire of love that is at the heart of the Trinity itself.

God wants us to serve as  a 'brand' burning with His love.

Ourselves burning with the fire of love, we should set fire to the whole world.

The whole world should burn with fire with flames of love. 

Our Lord Himself has said, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” (Lk. 12:49).

As Christians we are called to satisfy the Lord’s desire and set the world ablaze.

We cannot do this without His Holy Spirit.

So we pray to the Spirit of Love,

, “O consuming Fire,

Spirit of Love,

‘come upon me,’

and

Burn me with love

So that

Wherever I go

The fire of love is set

And keep the world ablaze with love.

By offering our entire self,

we are asking to be consumed by the fire of Divine love,

and for this fire to remain alive in our souls,

we must be preserved from sin.

Confession frees us from sin and the Holy Eucharist preserves us from it.

The Holy Eucharist keeps the fire in our heart always ablaze,  burning away whatever is against love. 

Accordingly to St. John Damascene:

“The fire of that desire which is within us,

being kindled by the burning coal [the Eucharist],

will consume our sins,

and

enlighten our hearts,

so that

we shall be inflamed

and

made Godlike .”

Jesus Himself wants to meet us in the intimacy of our hearts

and

set them on fire with the very same love that he himself enjoys.

The Divine love in us should be ablaze with  flames.

By flames  I refer to acts of love.

Without flames the fire is dormant.

Without acts of love,  love  also is dormant.

What is the use of dormant love unless it expresses itself in acts of love.

God's love expressed itself in the creation of the universe and His Providence,

and

in sending His only Son to the world to sacrifice Himself on the cross to redeem us from sin.

Our  Lord Jesus' love expressed itself in His uncountable acts of love and kindness

and His sacrifice on the cross.

Holy Eucharist is the continual expression of His love and Jesus gives Himself, body and Blood, as our spiritual food.

Our love too must be active, expressing itself in our acts of love and kindness for our neighbours.

Lourdu Selvam.