He has made out of us Light

 

Being light we have the task of revelation.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, Monday of 25th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I, September 25th, 2023
Texts: Ezra 1:1-6; Psalm 126:1-6; Luke 8:16-18 

Jesus Christ tells us, today, what we become of us as result of what He has made out of us. He has made out of us light to the world. He has not made us light to hide us nor to cover our light. In his words: “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, that those who enter may see the light.” 

Having made us light, He puts us where we can give light to people. No surprise then that there is so much evil around us and yet we have to be good and virtuous. By being good and virtuous, we are light put on a stand.

Jesus Christ has made us light for a purpose. What is the purpose? It is to dispel darkness, to make manifest what is hidden and make secret known. He puts it thus: “For nothing is hid that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light.” Being light we have the task of revelation. 

We make manifest what is hidden and what has been secret 

What are we to reveal? It is the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,  what we have been given to know. (Mt. 13:11). It is also the word of God. In the words of St. Paul: “I became its servant according to God's commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints.” As we preach God’s word and live it, we make manifest what is hidden and what has been secret. 

What we are to reveal is not ours but what Jesus Christ has given us to know. Hence, He says, “Take heed then how you hear; for to him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away." The warning here is not about what we hear but how we hear it. Is it from the Master, hearsay or our own imagination? We need to listen and hear from the Master himself. What we are to reveal is what we have heard from the Master. 

King Cyrus was light to the people 

King Cyrus was light to the people because he fulfilled the word of God through Jeremiah. We read, “In the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, that the word of the  Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the  Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing”. When we fulfil the word of God, we are light. Let us always fulfil the word of God in our lives, that we may be light to the people around us. 

Prayer  

Lord Jesus, who has made us light to the world, grant that we may truly be light to the world; help us to make Your word fully known in our lives and in the world. Amen 

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke