Daily Reflection – 1/30/2020
Sacred Scripture
He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light. Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.” He also told them, “Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you. To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”( Mark 4:21-25)
Reflection
Today’s Gospel message is one that most always remember. It is also a scripture passage that has been frequently preached. In most cases, the message preached is that we all have a “light” within, a gift given to us by God. That is agreed upon by all.
I ask you to think about that light within you from three perspectives. Let’s begin with your light, your gift.
Jesus also calls each of us to be light in our world. Now take a moment and ask yourself, “How do I shed light in the world?” Most likely many of the ways we strive to do this may seem insignificant to us. However, small rays of sunshine still light up the world. We should let these gifts that God gave us shine so brightly that all those we come in contact with feel the worth of our love and the love of God. Our world is in need of sunshine and hope. Today I invite you to share some sunshine with the people you encounter and to notice the ways in which others share sunshine with you.
I also think that Jesus was referring to the light as the Word of God: just by hearing God’s Word we have a light within us. We have all heard that we are loved and saved by Jesus and we are called to spread this message to everyone we meet, especially those who are stuck in a dark time. We need to be the light in their lives giving them the courage and strength to let their own lights shine bright. Even though we are all faced with dark times and obstacles we need to make sure that our lights are still shining brightly. Jesus’ words turn the darkness to light and fill our lives and the world with light and hope. We cannot just take God’s love and mercy for granted; we need to make sure that we are spreading his love to everyone. Today, let us be challenged to let our lights shine and help all those we encounter find their light.
Finally, let’s remember that God’s grace not only illumines the darkness in our lives, but it also fills us with spiritual light, joy, and peace. Jesus used the image of a lamp to describe how his disciples are to live in the light of his truth and love. Just as natural light illumines the darkness and enables one to see visually, so the light of Christ shines in the hearts of believers and enables us to see the heavenly reality of God’s kingdom. In fact, our mission is to be light-bearers of Christ so that others may see the truth of the gospel and be freed from the blindness of sin and deception.
Prayer of The Day
Lord, you guide me by the light of your saving truth. Fill my heart and mind with your light and truth and free me from the blindness of sin and deception that I may see your ways clearly and understand your will for my life. May I radiate your light and truth to others in word and deed.
Daily Note
Reflect, today, upon the mission you have been given by Christ to spread His Word. Say “Yes” to that mission and then look for ways, each and every day, to sow His Word. Expect much of the effort you give to unfortunately bear little fruit in a manifest way. However, have deep hope and confidence in the fact that some of that seed will reach the soil that our Lord desires it to reach. Commit yourself to the sowing; God will worry about the rest.
