AM I LIGHT?
In the Gospel Luke 8: 16-18, Jesus said to the crowd:
“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed;
rather, he places it on a lamp stand so that those who enter may see the light…”
We just concluded our parish mission led by a Redemptorist priest. It was a wonderful time and opportunity to just step back and allow the grace of God to flow where He wills. As I see it, the essence of a parish mission is to rediscover or reignite the light of Christ in me and to see how or where God wants me to shine His light. The parish mission week is over, and a new beginning is just unleashed. Where do I go from there? What is the next thing? What is God calling me to do? “To allow His light to Shine,” as we hear in today’s gospel reading.
Let your light shine. God’s light is my light. I am a child of God, created in his own image and likeness. As Christians our faith, works, and deeds must be like a burning lamp that shines its light on the darkness. Light is not afraid of darkness. Light illumines the dark. We MUST not hide our light. We must glow the light of Christ with the witness of a genuine love. To do this, we must seek each day to follow the example of Jesus Christ. When we glow the light of Christ, there is a difference in our personalities, steps, handling of problems, and service to others.
Pope Francis reflecting on the Christian light, says, “The Christian must be a luminous person who carries the light, a light that comes from one that is not his own, but a gift of God, a gift of Jesus. We carry this light forward!”
If a Christian loses this light, “his life doesn’t make sense. He is a Christian in name only,” Pope Francis cautioned.
Let your light shine. Many of us have seen the laughing Jesus photo. How did you feel when you saw that picture of Christ for the first time? One of the special ministries in our church is that of the usher, whose duty is that of hospitality. The usher is the face of the parish. He or she is the first person that worshipers meet when they arrive at church. People’s impression of a parish is significantly shaped by the presence or absence of a welcoming atmosphere where they come to worship. Offering a smile and a word of welcome can have a profound impact on people as they arrive. The light of Christ shines and radiates through an usher if he or she pays undivided attention to the people as they enter church for divine worship.
We all appreciate a good customer service representative any time we need one. No one likes to encounter a bad or awful customer service rep. So, also is the ministry of a Christian. No one wants to encounter an unwelcoming usher. Jesus says, “if you love each other people will know that you are my disciples.” If you become a light to one another, you radiate Christ.
How do you want to be remembered? How do you want to live? As a lamp that is lit, or one that is off?”
Let your light shine…..
Have a wonderful week
