To the Band of Brothers: Light of the World

Good morning!

As promised, today I want to share with you part two of our look at last Sunday’s gospel. You’ll remember it’s the continuation of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, as told to us by Matthew (5:13-16). Jesus had referred to the disciples as the “salt of the earth,” and then followed up by telling them they were also the “light of the world.” Again, another simile with some powerful implications.

Some might say this one is a little easier to understand. The qualities of light are pretty apparent. Walk into a dark room and try to make your way around it and you can understand why. Like salt, we can take light for granted. Nobody thinks twice about flipping a switch and getting automatic illumination. No one sings the praises of Thomas Edison every time they gather together at a football stadium at night (like the Super Bowl when the New England Patriots lost to the Seattle Seahawks) and watch a game without missing a play. We’re kind of spoiled that way.

But in Jesus' time, those luxuries were simply not available yet. There was a greater appreciation because, after sundown, you had to depend on lit candles for some semblance of sight. That little flame on the top end of that little candle meant the world to people. Light is so powerful, you can enter the darkest room and that little flame can break the darkness.

Last Saturday, I presided over a few baptisms. One of the most beautiful symbols the Church uses in the baptismal rite is the lighting of a small candle. After I poured the water over the head of the infant as I uttered the words, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” I took a small candle and handed it to the godfather. I then directed him to the Paschal Candle.

You’ll remember, the Paschal Candle is the large candle blessed at the Easter vigil that represents Jesus Christ. The beautiful images that adorn this candle are a collection of symbols that express the theology of who Jesus is. The letters Alpha and Omega, the first and last of the Greek alphabet, speak to Jesus being the beginning and the end. The five wax-tipped nails fastened to the cross etched in the candle are a reference to the suffering of Jesus on the cross, the means of our salvation. It is from this candle, and this candle alone, that the little one is lit. It tells us that, at our baptism, Jesus, the light of the world, shares his light with us. We carry it inside.

When Jesus tells the disciples they are the “light of the world,” he follows it up by claiming, “a city set on a mountain cannot be hidden” (v.14). When walking along some dark road during the time of Jesus, without the help of a flashlight or street light, what a relief it must have been to look up and see the candlelit windows of a town set high on a hill. That sight must have given great joy to any weary traveler. It helped set a course towards its direction. So too is the life of a Christian. Having the light of Christ in us helps break the darkness of a world too often drenched in sin. Our lives need to offer great joy and relief to a weary world. It helps set a course towards Christ.

Here’s another amazing thought. Light is tangible and can be measured. Darkness cannot. If you ever want to know how dark a room is, you have to measure how much light there is or isn’t. Ask any physicist. They will tell you darkness cannot be measured as a separate substance, but only as the absence of light. That being the case, it seems to me Jesus wanted to tell us there is no darkness in a world created by God, only an absence of the light given to us. If we keep the light of Christ burning in our lives, it will dispel the darkness.

That fact is, Jesus never meant for us to hide. Our discipleship is meant to be seen, to be an example for others to follow. Religion is not simply a private matter that we jealously cling to without it impacting the lives of others. He doesn’t want our faith to be celebrated solely behind closed doors where no one else can see it. No, Jesus wants us to shine. He wants us to be a light to the nations. There is no room for fear or embarrassment here.

We live in a world where too often we are told to keep our beliefs to ourselves. Faith is often maliciously hushed under the false pretenses of respect for others or the separation of church and state. While there is no question, we have an obligation to be respectful of the other and mindful of the beauty of all faiths, the values we espouse as Christians have to be shared with a world that so desperately needs them. If that were not the case, would Jesus have commanded his apostles to, “go into the world and proclaim the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16: 15).

As we approach the season of Lent, let us take this valuable time to feed the fire that is the presence of Jesus in our lives. Let us stoke the flames of our faith so we can shine brightly before men and help dispel the darkness. We do this by praying more, serving others, giving alms, fasting and abstaining, spending time in the chapel, and reading scripture. I assure you, if we take some time to do this, there is no way anyone can measure darkness because there will only be light.

Auspice Maria
Fr. Willie ‘87