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Our Gospel begins with a line that stirs my heart to greater fervor. Jesus said to his disciples: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”

Fire purifies. When I was young and would get a splinter in my hand or foot, my mother would round up a needle from her sowing kit, light a match, and purify the end of the needle in advance of extracting the sliver of wood. Jesus came to purify our hearts. He came to cleanse them from sin. How can we ever stop being overwhelmed by the extraordinary offering of his mercy in confession? Jesus came to burn away the germs of selfishness, pride and anger that infect us and keep us from human flourishing. Jesus came to set our hearts free from inordinate attachments that suck the life out of us and prevent us from freely loving and serving him and our neighbor.

Fire provides light. It enables us to see things that we simply can’t see without its presence. Jesus is our light. “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (Jn 8:12) He provides the light of faith which enables us to see his face, his actions, his humility and his marvelous ways. He enlightens our minds by revealing the most marvelous truths about God and about the genuine path to life while walking this earth.

I keep in my office a small wooden bust of Jesus made in the Holy Land from olive wood. The image of Jesus portrays his warmth, strength and wisdom all at the same time. I turn to that image often during my day seeking Christ’s strength and guidance and the grace to trust in his goodness and plans for me and my ministry. The letter to the Hebrews challenges us to “persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.”

In time, as we bask in the light of Christ and keep our eyes fixed on him, he transforms our lives. His light begins to shine on our face. We actually become Christ-like and the gift of his joy, peace and strength begin to show on our countenance. Soon, the light of Christ begins to shine through us into the darkness of our world. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Mt: 5:16) Fire is a source of energy. Jesus wants our hearts to be on fire with an energetic zeal for living in his light and spreading the Good News of his kingdom to every corner of the world. When we have truly encountered Christ, been forgiven our sins, been loved beyond all measure and restored to life, we cannot help but be impelled to rush out into the world, hearts on fire, and spread the Good News with those that we encounter. The joy of knowing and loving the Word made flesh drives us to share that same joy with the world.

St. John Bosco lived with this fire in his belly. He had a burning zeal to bring the love and truth of Christ to poor boys in the city of Turin. This fire led him to exhaust himself in this mission of evangelizing young people. He developed the Preventative Method that summarized his vision to be radically present to young people, to creatively teach them the truths of our faith, to provide them with the Eucharist, to encourage discipline and virtue and to train them in various fields of work such as bookmaking and shoemaking.

The fire in his belly also led St. John Bosco to found two communities dedicated to the service of boys and girls. He further exhausted himself overseeing the growth of these communities, raising needed funds and assisting the Holy Father with a variety of additional services to the universal church.

“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”