A reflection on today’s Gospel from Matthew 10:34–11:1

The Sword and the Peace of Christ

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us words that sound almost shocking:

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come not to bring peace, but the sword.” (Mt 10:34)

At first glance, it may seem that Jesus is encouraging animosity among us or division for its own sake. But let us look more deeply: did Jesus truly come to separate us from one another? No. Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). His deepest desire is for reconciliation, unity, and love.

So why does He speak of the sword?
Here lies the mystery: Jesus brings both conflict and reconciliation — and it is not a contradiction. The Gospel forces us to choose: do we stand with Christ and His truth, or do we cling to comfort, approval, or old attachments that keep us from Him?

In this sense, the “sword” Jesus speaks of is not about violence or destruction, but about cutting away everything that keeps us from loving God fully. It often begins with tension: in families, friendships, and even within ourselves. This conflict is not the end — it is the beginning. True reconciliation, true peace, comes only after we have courageously faced what divides us from God and each other.

Christ does not call us to false peace — the shallow quiet that avoids hard conversations or truth. Rather, He calls us first to confront what is sinful, unjust, or unloving, so that we can then build a peace that is real and rooted in Him.

This is why it is not a choice between conflict or peace, but one and then the other: first the sword, cutting away what is false; then the peace that comes from living in truth.

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha lived this beautifully: her choice to follow Christ brought rejection and misunderstanding, but it also brought deep inner peace and union with God.

As we reflect today, let us ask ourselves: What needs to be “cut away” in my life? Where do I settle for false peace rather than true conversion?

May we have courage to allow Christ to divide us from sin, so He can unite us in His love.

“Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Alleluia, Mt 5:10)

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us.

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