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Gospel: Luke 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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Imagine life without light.
If you opened your fridge, you’d struggle to find the milk.
If you came to Mass, the church would be dark.
If you drove at night, the roads would be hauntingly black.
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Light is essential to how we live our lives. But different size light bulbs are needed for different purposes.
In your fridge, a 40-watt bulb is perfect.
In a church, you need bigger bulbs.
At night, you need even larger ones to brighten our streets.
Each bulb serves the same purpose: to cast out the darkness in their respective place.
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In a similar way, God has given each of us a purpose in life – a unique way to shine bright, to share our faith, to be the face and voice of Christ.
Priests bring the light of Christ at Mass, in the confessional, in hospitals.
Some of you bring the Eucharist to the homebound; prepare food for the hungry; serve as a catechist; the voice of reconciliation; or love and service to your families at home.
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How do you light up the world around us?
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“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed,” Jesus says. “Rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light.”
Be that light – shine “brightly” – in your corner of the world today.
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Image credits: (1) Presence and Practice (2) Medium (3) Patheos