"Be A LAMP OF GOD"

27th January 2022:

Thursday, 3rd Week in Ordinary Time

(Mem: St. Angela Merici, Virgin)

"Be A LAMP OF GOD"

My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, today as we heard to the words of the Holy Bible, we all are invited to reflect on the responsibility each and every one of us given living in this world. We must realize with faith and belief in proclaiming the truth of God and becoming an instrument of His light in our world today. Thus these are the particular duties that we have been commended with, to be the models of faith and encouragement for many others people whom we meeting in our day to day life in this world.

In the first reading from the Sacred Scripture today, we listened from the second Book of the prophet Samuel concerning the prayer that King David of Israel made to the Lord after the Lord had made him secure in his rule and appointed him as the forerunner over all the people of Israel. David was full of gratitude to God for all that He had done for His chosen people Israel and also what He had done to David himself and to his family, in reverence of him and all his dear ones for having elected him as the King of Israel and through all the declarations that God had made in promising him of the kingship which will endure in his house for the ages. 

David became humiliated before God and requested the Lord to bless him and his family members, and expecting that his family and offspring will be steadfast in faith to the Lord throughout their life. He became humble and prayed earnestly to the Lord requesting for His encouragement and direction, and become a prominent King over all the people of Israel. He became a great king and his sovereignty was became so prominent that it was remembered by the later generations as the wonderful kingship for all the age, and as a epitome and perfect example for all the future leaders and kings. He governed with sincerity and faithfulness and dedicated himself to the Lord passionately.

In today’s Gospel interpretation, we listened that the Lord Jesus addressing to His disciples by the parable of the lamp and the lampstand in order to convey His intentions evidently. This is a reminder to all the people who heeded to His Words including all of us, that we who have been baptized to follow Jesus, ought to be the instruments of God’s light that our lives luminously reflect the light of God. The light of God will shine through our good deeds, the truth of God and love would be discovered the entire humanity, and everyone shall come in the light of God to walk in the valley of God’s light. As a matter of fact, most of the people are not aware that what they should do followers of Christ Jesus. 

We must realize that we are baptized and elected from the universe to be the eyewitnesses of the truth and salvation of God. Looking at the Gospel today we must reflect what we lesson we can learn for us and for others. Keeping in mind the whole parable we can learn two most important lessons from the Gospel episode. 

1) As a lamp we ought to shine for others: 

Jesus called us that “you are the light of the world” we become the light of the world or the lamp of God when we listen attentively to the Word of God. Thus no one in this world would place a lamp “under the tub, basket or under the bed” rather he or she would place it at the lampstand, so who so ever would enter will have the light to see the way. 

The purpose of Jesus is very obvious that those who have received the light of faith, love and concern are not to hid it, rather they are ought to make it shine for the people of God. Therefore, as a lamp of God we shine when we preach the Word of God, when we sing the praises of the Almighty, when we bear witness to the Word of God, when we extend helping hand for the others, when we associate with marginalized, when we embrace the rejected in the society, when we bring the a strayed one to the Jesus Christ. When we feed the starving, when we help the poor children to get education. 

2) As a lamp we disclose what is concealed:

When Jesus came into this world He obviously revealed the kingdom of God to the whole humanity. Thus, we as baptized Christians are called to expose the mysteries of the Kingdome of God. Jesus explained this concept in the Gospel according to the Gospel of St. Matthew (4:11), where he mentioned to the mystery of the Kingdom of God. Likewise we also are called to reveal the mysteries of the kingdom of God. 

Thus, we can see the life of a great saint St. Angela Merici, whose memorial we celebrate today and follow her example. St. Angela Merici devoted herself and encouraged many others along with the ministry that she had dedicated herself as part of the Company of St. Ursula, accomplishing schools and orphanages, caring particularly for the needs of young Christians, specifically that of young, disadvantaged Christian girls, who were often burdened and in harmful situations. St. Angela Merici committed her life to this ministry, and many more people would come to follow her examples in working for the greater glory of God and for the salvation of His people.

Dear brethren in Christ Jesus, let us all distinguish our way in world through what we have perceived from the lives of the holy and devoted precursors, King David, St. Angela Merici and other saints. They lived and survived with faith, concern and total dedication to the Lord and became truly lighted lamps for the truth and love, of God’s light and sympathy, and by following their example, lot of people came to trust in God and be protected as well. Let us all therefore pursue the Lord our God with a transformed spirit and belief, and let us dedicate ourselves to follow the Lord ever more authentically and do what we can through our activities, confrontations and actions. So that they may also shine as lamp for the greater glory of God the Father.