Shining Light

From Our Spiritual Advisor:

As I meditated on what I should address in this article, I encountered the Gospel reading for Thursday of the third week in ordinary time – the familiar parable in Mark 4:21 in which Jesus asked His disciples, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?” 

Jesus is the light of the world, and in God’s goodness, we have received – and continue to receive - that light.  We first received Christ’s light through our baptism, and we continue to receive it in many other ways as we practice our faith.  We receive His light when we come to Mass - through both the Holy Scriptures that are proclaimed, and in the Eucharist we receive.  We receive His light through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  We receive His light in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.  We receive His light through prayer and meditation, and through study of the Holy Scriptures.  In all these ways, and in many others, we receive the light of Christ.  But the question that Jesus puts before us in this Gospel passage is, “what will our RESPONSE be receiving that light?  Time and again in the Gospels, Jesus makes it clear that we are called to imitate Him in the way we love and serve others in our lives.  

Time and again, Jesus tells us that we are to share our resources generously with those in need (and there is such great need in our world today). There is no question that God wants us to grow in holiness.  And there is no question that God wants us to grow in knowledge of Him through our study.  And all of the afore-mentioned spiritual practices help us to grow in holiness – to receive God’s light. 

But if we do all those spiritual things, and then fail to show kindness and forgiveness to our family members, then we are hiding our light under a bushel basket.  If we do all those spiritual things, but then choose not to generously share our “first fruits” to help support those in our community and in our world who are in need, then we are hiding our lamp under a bushel basket.  If we do all those spiritual things, but then can’t bring ourselves to smile and say “hello” or “God bless” to a stranger, or can’t bring ourselves to share fellowship with someone because they look, or live, or believe, or vote differently than us, then we are putting our lamp under a bushel basket. If we spend time and energy in search of Christ’s light……if we do all we can to grow in holiness, but we don’t live that holiness – don’t share that light -- then what is the point?  Is holiness that is focused only inward really holiness at all?  

The answer to that question comes a little later in that same Gospel reading, where Jesus tells his disciples, “The measure you give will be the measure you receive, and you will receive more in addition.  To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who does not have, even what little he has will be taken away” (Mark 4:24-25). Jesus is telling us that if we don’t share His light, we will lose it.  But the good news is that we can’t exhaust His light by shining it on others.  The more we let His light shine through us, the more of His light He will give us.  That is the essence of the three-legged stool of piety, study, and action! As we prepare to begin the season of Lent, let’s all take time to reflect deeply on whether our lamp has been on a lamp-stand, or under a bushel basket in all the areas of our lives.  Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to show us where we haven’t been letting that light shine as we are called to.  Let’s all respond to the gift of Christ’s light by reflecting that light for all to see!  

Deacon Don Fritsch