25-Sep-17

Gospel LK 8:16-18
Jesus said to the crowd:
"No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel
or sets it under a bed;
rather, he places it on a lampstand
so that those who enter may see the light.
For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible,
and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.
Take care, then, how you hear.
To anyone who has, more will be given,
and from the one who has not,
even what he seems to have will be taken away."
Reflection:
"No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel
or sets it under a bed;
rather, he places it on a lampstand
so that those who enter may see the light."
I was a lukewarm Catholic for the better half of my life. I seldom talked about God, and I don't recall ever having a deep, serious conversation about Jesus Christ.
When I was forty-six years old, I lived a Cursillo retreat, a short course in Christianity.
I came to "see the light" of Jesus Christ for the first time that weekend.
The "lamp" had been lit and set on the "lampstand."
I haven't been able to stop talking about Jesus since.
"For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible,
and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.
Take care, then, how you hear."
Sometime we try to hide things from ourselves. But, it is impossible to do so because although others may not be able to see our secrets, they are all too visible to us.
Sometimes we try to hide things from others. But, we find that our secrets hold us captive and separate us from our fellow man.
Sometimes we try to hide things from God. But, to attempt to hide anything from God is the greatest absurdity because God see all.
"To anyone who has, more will be given,
and from the one who has not,
even what he seems to have will be taken away."
Jesus is not saying that He will take anything away from us.
Instead, He is telling us that God has given us the gift of everlasting life but that; it is up to us to sustain that life or we will lose it.
All life requires movement to live. If we do not exercise our muscles, our heart will become diseased and die.
The same is true of our belief in Jesus Christ.
Unless we act on our faith by spreading the good news of God's love, than surely, our faith, like a muscle that hasn't been exercised, will shrivel and die.
"There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up." Unknown