By loving your brother you will shed light on your own life-path.
“…because the night is over and the real light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the dark.
But anyone who loves his brother is living in the light and need not be afraid of stumbling; unlike the man who hates his brother and is in the darkness, not knowing where he is going, because it is too dark to see.”
Gospel
Lk 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 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.”
Today, we have many types of illumination, but some lights can irritate our vision while others enhance it. In today’s Gospel, we will explore what enhances our vision of God and guides us to understand how He wants us to act. We will meditate together on the type of light God desires us to use.
In St. Luke’s Gospel, chapter 8, verses 16 to 18, our Lord speaks to the crowd, saying that those who have a lamp should place it high so that it can help others follow the same path. We don’t put a lamp under a cupboard or a bush; we place it up high so that it can be seen.
But what is our light? What do we reflect, and what do we want to illuminate? These are important questions to consider. Jesus teaches us to let our light shine before others. However, we must be careful not to become proud of our good deeds or works. Should we cease doing them because of that pride? No, we must understand that what gives a perfect reflection of God’s light is the intention behind our actions.
For example, consider a mother or father who, before a meal, either prays from memory or uses a prayer book to say a meal prayer. Or think of a soldier in a battalion. There was once a captain who found a rosary that someone had dropped, and he wanted to identify the owner. He gathered the troops and held up the rosary, asking the person who lost it to come forward. When no one stepped up, one soldier eventually claimed it with such certainty that it silenced the group.
The next day, the true owner approached the man who had claimed it and asked why he had been so anxious about stepping forward. The soldier expressed his frustration that the actual owner had not boldly proclaimed his faith by presenting himself when the rosary was displayed.
Let us pray for the courage to always elevate our light, never concealing the virtues of courage and standing up for what is true.