You Are the Light of the World

I saw a great display of fireworks this year in honor of our country’s independence.  As I was watching them rise, I reflected as they illuminated against the jet-black sky.  It reminded me of the Divine Mercy image, particularly the original Kazimirowski image. Many have taken note of the darkness behind the bright Christ in this image, dictated by Christ Himself to Saint Faustina; it shows the contrast against the engulfing despair of this age.

Dud fireworks, you know the ones that don’t explode and give light, remind me of Our Lord’s admonition in John 12:21-25:

Amen, amen, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, itself remaineth alone. But if it die it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world keepeth it unto life eternal.

We also let freedom ring true regarding our commission by Almighty God in Matthew 5:14-16:

You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house. So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Furthermore, as Our Lady pointed out in her message in the Marian Movement of Priests:

I obtained from God for the Church the Pope who had been prepared and formed by me.  He has consecrated himself to my Immaculate Heart and has solemnly entrusted to me the Church, of which I am the Mother and Queen.  In the person and the work of the Holy Father, John Paul II, I am reflecting my light which will become stronger, the more the darkness envelops everything (January 1, 1979).

Although some in the Church disbelieve or have mixed feelings about this devotion, this statement couldn’t be truer, objectively speaking. 

Those of us who have learned, continue to, or are just beginning to learn from Saint John Paul the Great bring that Gospel seed into the world, however small, and fulfill Christ’s statement:

Amen, amen I say to you, he that believeth in me, the works that I do, he also shall do; and greater than these shall he do (John 14:12).

What could be a more important work than that of salvation?  Healing?  As powerful an expression of the depths of Christ’s love are His healings, Jesus’ main objective of healing was to lead us to the Father for all eternity.

We as the laity are like these fireworks in a way.  Lighting up the sky, though briefly, we linger in the memory.  People, just as they talk the next day about the fireworks they saw, so too do they think about what we say as Catholics – and speak about it too.

The Gospel message influences our thinking to such a degree, that it enlightens and attracts us in our everyday interactions.  Our Lord speaks of the “very much fruit” we are called to bear.  In this is my Father glorified; that you bring forth very much fruit and become my disciples. John 15:8. Just like the mustard seed, small as it is, slowly explodes into the mustard tree.

He said, therefore: To what is the kingdom of God like, and whereunto shall I resemble it?  It is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and cast into his garden: and it grew and became a great tree, and the birds of the air lodged in the branches thereof (Luke 13:18-19).

Firework shows linger in our minds for a time, occupying our thoughts here and there.  The insights that Christ gives us, via the Holy Spirit throughout the day and night, are bright lights amidst the darkness of this age.  Via the power of the Holy Spirit, as laity, we “take down the ridiculous arguments of this age.”  The Eucharist is our source, our ignition.  We are called to be that candle lit brightly, without hiding under the bushel basket of embarrassment, false humility, or sloth.  We are able and equipped to bring fresh insights we hear from our angel and …

we destroy arguments and every pretension raising itself against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive in obedience to Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4-5).

Everything we say and do – our approaches, our work, our view on life, our everything – is the fruit of the Gospel we hear and literally eat once a week in the Sacred Species.  We make sense despite our issues and sins, for God uses the “weak things of this world that no flesh may glory in His sight,” and people begin to see it is not “us” it is Christ in us, behind us, making the sense ( See Mass prayers and Galatians 2:20).

When we have The Gospel as our go-to first thing in the morning, we create a stance for the day.  When we pray a minimum of one decade of the Rosary before heading out the door, we create a logjam against the devil. When we indulge in holy reading, we create time for God in thought.  When we reinforce (or rouse a dormant) firm purpose of amendment with temperance, fasting, and obedience, fostering self-control.  When we make a holy hour, we practice listening to God. When we work well on and off the clock, creating happiness for ourselves and others; in short, when we get out of the way and let The Way take over, we more effectively bring those bright, jaw-dropping blasts of wisdom to the hungry in spirit, and they, in turn, give glory to God and hopefully come back to Christ or perhaps discover him for the first time.  By the way, do we learn anything from those we evangelize?

The only way reaching others with the Gospel is going to work well is if we realize that God speaks through others as well as us, who hopefully “keep His commandments.”  We need to be willing to hear what others have to say, not just us and seemingly our Gospel message.  St John Paul II was a master at this, namely, being humble and reaching others.  May we not be duds in this age that needs us to shine brightly with humility.

Remember, Christ found the most faith of all in a pagan Roman soldier, and the most charity in a Samaritan; maybe, in today’s terms, a secular and an Episcopalian, which is a sect broken away from Catholicism? (Matt 8:5-13 and Luke 10:25-37).  We don’t back down from a ridiculous argument to keep false peace, but we listen humbly to the Spirit of God in others.  These are some of the “thresholds of hope” JPII spoke of we use to reach others.

I stumbled on a video on the Samaritan parable.https://youtu.be/53Pqw20xK10. How many times do we as Catholics who do possess the Gospel in its fullness, “keep our hands clean” or “sway great distance” from those in need?  Either spiritually or physically?  We don’t step out of our personal world for the sake of leading others to Jesus Christ in The Blessed Sacrament.  Maybe we could dare ourselves to invite someone we hold at arm’s distance to the Adoration Chapel with us?