Jesus said to the crowd in today’s gospel that:
“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care then how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.”
This is a very well known teaching of Christ’s that most of us have heard many times. We might be tempted to take it for granted that we already know all there is to know about this verse in the gospel. It is a simple teaching. The meaning seems pretty clear. Our faith in Jesus must shine before others, and not be kept to ourselves. We do this by reflecting Christ to those around us, by the acts of love and service that we do for one another, and by our faith in God that is shown in a visible way to others.
Many people make the sign of the cross and say their prayers before having a meal in a public restaurant. Others are not ashamed of the ashes on their forehead on Ash Wednesday. We have a crucifixes in our homes, and many people have a statue of Mary too. Catholics often wear a medal on a chain around their neck, or keep a rosary in a visible place in their car. These are all good, readily identifiable things that reflect our Catholic identity.
However, this isn’t what Christ is talking about in today’s gospel. Jesus said that other people should “see the light” when they encounter us. That could be just the smile on our face, or the fact that we look at a person and make eye contact when we speak with them, or perhaps refrain from looking at our watch during a conversation. Giving your undivided attention to the people you encounter everyday, even clerks in the stores, or strangers you encounter in public situations, is a way of validating the dignity and worth of every human being.
But, the things that really touch the heart is what Jesus is talking about, especially those good things that no one else knows about. The groceries you bought someone that was struggling to feed their family. A coat or pair of shoes that you gave to a child. A greeting card that you mailed to an elderly person on their birthday, or a letter or Christmas present that you sent to someone who has been in prison for a long time. These things matter. These things reflect Christ’s love, through you. He shines through you, when you do something kind for another person.
There is a sentence in today’s gospel that would be easy to overlook, but is well worth the time to stop and think about. Jesus said, “Take care, then, how you hear.” One possible explanation of what he may be trying to say to us is to pay attention to what he said, because it is important. But, it could also mean to not let God’s word go in one ear and out the other, without having any real effect in our lives. If we listen carefully to his words, and apply them in our lives, then we grow into better people, we grow in the likeness of Christ. If we only listen to his words superficially, and they do not affect our lives in any tangible way, then the genuineness of our love and faith will erode.
We have to put into practice what Christ taught us, in order to fully understand his teachings and grow in holiness. The more you grow, the more graces the Lord grants us, to grow more. Grace is like a spring rain. The more graces we receive from Jesus, the more we bloom and produce an abundance of fruit for his kingdom. We can not survive, or flourish, without his grace.
And, if you read back through the first reading for Mass today, it is all about peace, harmony, humility and friendship. These virtues we can not attain on our own. We need God’s grace to help form us more and more into His likeness, and to reflect the love of His son Jesus, to those we encounter everyday. The question for the day might be to ask ourselves if we convey the light and love of Christ to those around us most of the time? Or do the more negative, darker things creep into our conversations a little more often than they should?
Daily Mass Readings:
Proverbs 3: 27-34 / Psalm 15 / Luke 8: 16-18
