Our JOY in the risen Christ LIGHTS up the world…
I have been meditating upon the Gospel passage from Saint Mark’s Gospel where Christ told His disciples that all things will come to light through Him (Mark 4:21-25).
“And He said to them, ‘Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For there is nothing hid, except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to come to light.’” (Mark 4:21-25).
And I have been thinking about what it means for a light to be placed under a bushel or a lamp underneath a bed… I have been thinking about what this means for me and the ways that I am supposed to work in God’s service to bring Him to light…
You see, in this passage God is telling us that we need to SHOW HIM to the world. And I have been thinking very much about HOW to do just that...
Saint Josemaría said, “Don't let your life be barren. Be useful. Leave a mark. Shine forth, with the shining light of your faith and your love... and set aflame all the ways of the earth with the fire of Christ that you bear in your heart.”
And I have been reflecting on that fire that Christ expects us to use to light up the world over the last few days and weeks because these are very strong words of advice provided by this Saint! And they are very HUMAN words too… After all, is it not part of the human condition to wish to leave a legacy of our life somewhere – to wish to leave some reminder or mark that we were here and that we could make a difference?
And though the difference that we make could be big or small the difference that we make is ALWAYS significant.
You see, if we work hard to be saints by following the advice of Pope Saint John Paul II, who famously said, “Make yourselves saints and do it quickly…” then we will always be endeavouring to make a change. After all, the Saints model their lives on the life of Christ – and is there any human being in the entire world who could have made GREATER changes than those that Christ made?
And when we are doing the Will of God – when we are making changes (big or small) – it s ajoyful thing! Saint Katharine Drexel, who was a nun and who is the second American saint to be canonised by the Catholic Church said, “Joy is prayer – Joy is strength – Joy is love – Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls…. A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love. Never let anything so fill you with sorrow as to make you forget the joy of the Christ risen.”
And they are strong and empowering words. You see, Saint Katharine explained it beautifully – she really understood – our JOY in the risen Christ LIGHTS up the world…
It is as simple as that.
So, on my darkest days, when everything seems lost to me, and I just cannot cope. I know that I must fix my eyes firmly on the Eucharist… For the Blessed Sacrament reminds me of the JOY that I should feel. And when I feel that JOY – then everyone will see the LIGHT…
It really is as simple as that!
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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