Not peace, but the sword
Gospel Reflection
As we gather on this eighth day of our novena in honor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, our Gospel presents us with a powerful and even startling statement from Jesus: “I have not come to bring peace, but the sword” (Mt 10:34). At first glance, this seems to contradict the message of peace we associate with Christ.
But Jesus is not calling us to violence, rather, he speaks of the division that will inevitably follow when people choose to follow him with total commitment. The “sword” is a metaphor for the cost of discipleship—that families may be divided, friendships tested, and comforts lost. His message challenges the world, and that challenge will often be resisted.
We see this clearly in the lives of the early Christians. They were persecuted not because they were violent, but because they stood for a truth that the world often refuses to hear: the truth of self-giving love, justice, and radical faithfulness to God.
The Carmelite Order has also known this path of hardship and transformation. Originally hermits living on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land in the 12th century, they were forced to return to Europe due to increasing conflict in the region. According to Carmelite tradition, these early friars faced suspicion and hardship when they arrived in Europe. They were neither wealthy nor influential. Many were not highly educated. Yet they remained faithful to their contemplative calling.
Amid this struggle, St. Simon Stock, the Prior General of the Order at that time, turned in prayer to Our Lady, asking for her help and protection. According to Carmelite tradition, the Blessed Mother appeared to him and gave him the Brown Scapular, saying: “Whoever dies wearing this scapular will not suffer eternal fire.” This became a symbol not only of Marian protection but of a life dedicated to Christ, under Mary’s guidance.
Today, the scapular continues to be a sign of consecration, of trusting in Mary's intercession, and of a commitment to live as a true disciple of Jesus.
As we reflect on our own Christian journey, we may face rejection or misunderstanding, just like the early Carmelites or the apostles. But like Mary, we are called to persevere—to “ponder all things in our hearts,” to trust God even in uncertainty, and to radiate peace not by avoiding conflict, but by being faithful, loving, and humble in the midst of it.
Let us ask Our Lady of Mount Carmel to accompany us, to clothe us not just with a scapular but with the grace and strength to follow her Son in love, even when the road is hard.
May we be true children of Mary, walking in the light of Christ, and bearing witness to the Gospel with quiet courage. Amen.
Jesus said to his Apostles:
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one's enemies will be those of his household.
"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
"Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet's reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous
will receive a righteous man's reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."
When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.
As we gather on this eighth day of our novena in honor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, our Gospel presents us with a powerful and even startling statement from Jesus: “I have not come to bring peace, but the sword” (Mt 10:34). At first glance, this seems to contradict the message of peace we associate with Christ.
But Jesus is not calling us to violence, rather, he speaks of the division that will inevitably follow when people choose to follow him with total commitment. The “sword” is a metaphor for the cost of discipleship—that families may be divided, friendships tested, and comforts lost. His message challenges the world, and that challenge will often be resisted.
We see this clearly in the lives of the early Christians. They were persecuted not because they were violent, but because they stood for a truth that the world often refuses to hear: the truth of self-giving love, justice, and radical faithfulness to God.
The Carmelite Order has also known this path of hardship and transformation. Originally hermits living on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land in the 12th century, they were forced to return to Europe due to increasing conflict in the region. According to Carmelite tradition, these early friars faced suspicion and hardship when they arrived in Europe. They were neither wealthy nor influential. Many were not highly educated. Yet they remained faithful to their contemplative calling.
Amid this struggle, St. Simon Stock, the Prior General of the Order at that time, turned in prayer to Our Lady, asking for her help and protection. According to Carmelite tradition, the Blessed Mother appeared to him and gave him the Brown Scapular, saying: “Whoever dies wearing this scapular will not suffer eternal fire.” This became a symbol not only of Marian protection but of a life dedicated to Christ, under Mary’s guidance.
Today, the scapular continues to be a sign of consecration, of trusting in Mary's intercession, and of a commitment to live as a true disciple of Jesus.
As we reflect on our own Christian journey, we may face rejection or misunderstanding, just like the early Carmelites or the apostles. But like Mary, we are called to persevere—to “ponder all things in our hearts,” to trust God even in uncertainty, and to radiate peace not by avoiding conflict, but by being faithful, loving, and humble in the midst of it.
Let us ask Our Lady of Mount Carmel to accompany us, to clothe us not just with a scapular but with the grace and strength to follow her Son in love, even when the road is hard.
May we be true children of Mary, walking in the light of Christ, and bearing witness to the Gospel with quiet courage. Amen.
Photo by Sunguk Kim on Unsplash
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