The light of God is accessible to all. We have the capacity to become the lights of God, to live as his true ambassadors. Nothing shows this better than the lives of the saints, through which we see often unlikely individuals turn their lives around and become ‘all for God’.
And, as the Little Flower demonstrated, we only need do small things with great love in order to attain heaven. We are not all called to changing the world in a huge way through our spiritual accomplishments.
But we ARE called to changing the world, even if in a small capacity. We lead, and we change others, through example. And God often changes others through us: by our thoughtfulness, gentleness and poverty, by our living the beatitudes with integrity. This is how he lived, and doing so he changed others. He is asking the same of us.
Through baptism we are the children of God. We are the city on the hill. And our light cannot be hidden.
This spiritual journey we are on is a quest for oneness with God, a hope to live with him for eternity. But we must remember to not make it a personal quest, a selfish one. Jesus wasnt selfish, and he wishes us to bring others along on our journey. Truly, if we live in the image of God then we shall inherit his Kingdom. But by that witness we shall also shine God’s light intonthe hearts of others.
We can sometimes explain-away our love for others by thnking of it as a passive reaction to our personal, selfish quest for God. This is anathema in Jesus’s eyes. Christ himself is full of empathy, he thinks of others all of the time. He acrively reaches beyond human judgment to heal and love, to make the unlikeliest people into friends. He spent much time in company with the kinds of people that we, yes we, would spurn.
Where does this leave us, then, as the lights of God set upon the hill? Are we to shine out to all the world, or just to those to whom we want to shine? We know the answer to this, of course, because we are followers of Christ.
In order to do this, we must make sure that we do not contain dark corners. Everywhere in our lives should be flooded in light. And if it is not, we need to open the door of God’s love onto those dark places in our hearts, and let ourselves be bathed in light.
We do this through the Sacraments, through allowing ourselves to be instructed by the Gospels, and through living – as best as we can – in the image of God, through Christ.
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew 5: 13-16
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men.
‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house.
In the same way your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.’
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.