Pax...

August 17, 2025
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”

- Luke 12:51

 

“With these it is honorable to contend, and to set the battle constantly in array against them, and to glory in holding opposite sentiments, so that even though it be a father that believes not, the son is free from blame who contradicts him, and resists his opinions.”

- St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Luke, Sermon XCIV

 

“But in this passage, above all, we must strive to grasp the spiritual sense. To take it literally or in a simplistic sense would bring upon ourselves an accusation of harshness. But when you look deeply into the figurative and mystical sense, the seeming harshness is tempered. This is important because our holy religion has always shown humanity in its teaching, and has shown by example with what affection we must treat each other. By its kindness and humility it inclines even those who are exiled from the Faith to treat religion with respect.”

- St. Ambrose of Milan, Commentary on Saint Luke’s Gospel, Book VII

 

Before I started working here, my previous music director job was at a small UCC church in upstate New York. Their pastor at that time really wanted me to select music that matched her sermon topic for each Sunday, so she’d send me her itinerary of sermon topics that she had apparently planned out months in advance. I thought, “wow, that’s some next-level preparedness!” 

 

Bringing what I learned from that experience to my current work, I decided to play a little game with myself here at St. Joe’s: I’d challenge myself to predict how each of our Priests would preach on any given Sunday. I’d look at the readings and go, “Hmmm… What would Fr. Bryan, or Fr. Ssenfuma, or Fr. Charles say about these readings?” Sometimes the readings make it obvious, but other times, like with this Sunday’s Gospel in particular, I’ve found that Priests can vary in their interpretations. One thing I’ve started doing to help me in this little game of mine is to consult different Scriptural commentaries, usually ones from the early Church Fathers. Would you believe that the Church Fathers also varied greatly in their interpretations?

 

I recall when this Gospel came up a few years ago, I found myself thinking, “but… but… I like peace! Why would Jesus want to bring about division instead of peace???” So at the 5pm Mass, I played Let There Be Peace On Earth as a prelude. Fr. Joseph Kim, who was our Parochial Vicar at that time, seemed to sense my thoughts—when he began his homily, he said something like, “I’m reminded of the very beautiful hymn Let There Be Peace On Earth. Doesn’t Jesus want peace?” He then went on to share his interpretation of that Gospel, and I must say, it was an interpretation I would’ve never expected. He said that Jesus was ultimately declaring war on selfishness. I was like, “Ok, I didn’t see that coming, cause I figured this was gonna become about how some people believe in Christ and some don’t and how that’s gonna cause families to be divided and stuff.” I mean, that certainly seems to be the literal interpretation, and the one taken by Cyril of Alexandria, as in the epigraph above.

 

But as I’ve found after doing more reading into the Church Fathers’ commentaries, Fr. Joseph’s interpretation seems very similar to that of Ambrose of Milan, whose commentary on the Gospel of Luke is characterized by the recurring theme of God’s immeasurable mercy. For St. Ambrose, what Jesus describes as a divided household represents the human person, rather than a literal family of persons. Ambrose interprets “two against three” to refer to the human person (a composite of body and soul, hence “two”) being divided between three modes of being—rational, covetous, or passionate.

 

Are we to believe that He demands disunion among His dear children? How, in that case, can He be “our peace, who has made both one” (Ep 2:14)? How is it that He Himself said “My peace I give you, My peace I leave you” (Jn 14:27)? How can He say these words if He has come to divide parents from their children, children from their parents, and so dissolve the bonds that bind a family together? …It seems to me that we should seek in the passage a profounder meaning…

 

One household represents the human person in his oneness… “Two” we can take to mean body and soul… Now that we have seen who are the “two,” we must equally recognize who are the “three.” This is something we can reason out from the premises already established. The soul, you see, has three modes of being: it can be rational; it can be covetous; it can be passionate…”

- St. Ambrose, Commentary on Luke, Book VII

 

See, doesn’t that sound remarkably similar to Fr. Joseph’s interpretation that Jesus was declaring war on selfishness? I’m now wondering if that was something they took up in seminary. See, I’ve always wondered what types of things the Priests study in “Priest school,” but I suppose that’s a topic for another time! As far as music is concerned, I must confess that I’m still in the space of “but… I like peace!” so you can expect some peace-themed songs at this Sunday’s Masses. And if you so happen to attend the 5pm Mass, you may hear Eloise Mascitti from our children’s choir, whom I’ve invited to sing one of my favorite peace-themed songs…

 

With my peace,

Carlo Serrano, Music Director