REFLECTION Sunday´s Gospel

5th Sunday (Year A, 6 February 2011)

Fr James McTavish, FMVD

You are LIGHT! Of the World?

One priest I know had his finger chopped off some years ago while chopping fire wood. Over the years he has been asked many times what actually happened. I am sure I could write a book with the different responses I have heard ranging from having to bite his finger off as a test of his love for a beautiful woman to it being a warning to children as to what happens when you pick your nose too much. At times when the listener realizes that it is a joke they will respond “Exagg! No way!” We can be a little tempted to respond in the same way to the claim of Jesus in the gospel today – “You are light of the world.” Ok perhaps we can agree that on our good days, in our holy moments we are light but what raises some objections is when he tells us that we are light of the world. A bit exaggerated it seems. Let us analyze this phrase of Jesus and see whether it is true or not as if it is true it really will make us think about the way we live. Could your life really have an influence on the world?

I remember sharing to my family about entering missionary life. My first assignment was to be in Cebu, in the beautiful Philippines. I got a globe and was showing my younger brother where Cebu was. I put one finger on our house in Scotland and the other on Cebu. Wow! Diametrically opposite! Exactly on the other side of the world. In the book of the prophet Isaiah it says that God will make us a light to the nations so that his salvation can reach to the ends of the earth. In some ways this fits with the desire of every human heart to reach out, to be universal (the meaning of the word ‘Catholic’). Why do we like to talk to new friends in cyberspace, why do we like to connect to others on the far side of the planet? We desire to go global. Recently a missionary went to give some catechism classes to a group of 8 year olds. Afterwards they wrote him thank you letters. One little girl told him that she would go home and share all she had learnt with her mum and dad. Not only to them but also to her brothers and sisters. Even her cousins and all her relatives. “In fact,” she wrote “I am going to tell the whole world about what I learnt today!” Wow! This is the desire of the human heart to reach out beyond barriers, beyond frontiers. Each Christian is called to be light of the world. St John Chrysostom wrote in the fourth century “You are the light of the world. Once again, "of the world": not of one nation or twenty cities, but of the whole world.”

There is song called “Shine Jesus shine.” For sure Jesus wants to shine in us. He is not afraid at all of our shadows. Remember the old days of photography? What happened in the dark room – the negative was slowly exposed to the light to develop it. The light of Christ can cause all our dark areas to be illumined to help develop us as a person. We must not be afraid of Christ. Do you have enough trust in Jesus to tell him about your shadows? Try it and be surprised. We have a God who is gentle and tender who came to save us and not condemn.

How can we be light if some parts of us seem to be in darkness? One way to understand our darkness is the reality of a so-called ‘black hole’. This is usually a star that has collapsed in on itself. Light cannot escape because the force of gravity pulls it back in. Self-centredness has the same effect as if to say “it is all about me.” That is why it helps to examine our lives. Lord am I becoming a black hole here or light of the world? Even holy concerns can make us more self-obsessed. It is useful to ask what is the effect of this thought? Does it lead me to be only more pre-occupied with myself? Or does it actually lead me to be more concerned with others and lead me to God? The tree is known by its fruits. We are all a mixture of light and shadows but the difference is recognizing that and asking, begging even, Christ THE light of the world to enter into our darkness and shine.

And when Christ enters, he really shines. Look at the Patroness of the foreign missions, St Theresa of Lisieux. She never left her convent in France but today her light shines brightly to the ends of the earth. Even in some non-Catholic countries here in Asia, who do they have a great devotion to? Little St Theresa of Child Jesus! Her example of love shines brightly in many hearts. And all of know people like this, whose life shines. One little girl we know died recently of dengue fever. She was 16 and she was a Saint. She had been assaulted when she was 9 and later as a result became blind. However every time she came to visit us her presence lit up the house. She was always singing and dancing and giving thanks to God. Angelica, rest in peace and intercede for us poor sinners here on earth. Thank you for your life which was really a light for the world today – “With all the sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.”

May each one of us have enough faith to believe that as Christians we are called to be light for the world. Lord, shine in us, illumine our darkness and teach us how to be light for the world. Amen