Thursday January 27

Thursday of 3rd Week in Ordinary Time

 

Light of the Gospel

We hear David thank God for giving stability to his kingdom; he prays that God’s blessings may come down on the royal house.

In the Gospel, the parable presents Jesus’ message as a lamp that cannot be hidden; it will blaze brightly in the end time. We must give a generous response to his message of light.

 

First Reading: 2 S 7:18-19, 24-29

King David went in, took his place before God, and prayed: “Who am I, my Master God, and what is my family, that you have brought me to this place in life? But that’s nothing compared to what’s coming, for you’ve also spoken of my family far into the future, given me a glimpse into tomorrow, my Master God! What can I possibly say in the face of all this? You know me, Master God, just as I am. You’ve done all this not because of who I am but because of who you are—out of your very heart!—but you’ve let me in on it.

“This is what makes you so great, Master God! There is none like you, no God but you, nothing to compare with what we’ve heard with our own ears. And who is like your people, like Israel, a nation unique in the earth, whom God set out to redeem for himself (and became most famous for it), performing great and fearsome acts, throwing out nations and their gods left and right as you saved your people from Egypt? You established for yourself a people—your very own Israel!—your people permanently. And you, God, became their God.

25-27 “So now, great God, this word that you have spoken to me and my family, guarantee it permanently! Do exactly what you’ve promised! Then your reputation will flourish always as people exclaim, ‘The God-of-the-Angel-Armies is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will remain sure and solid in your watchful presence. For you, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel’s God, told me plainly, ‘I will build you a house.’ That’s how I was able to find the courage to pray this prayer to you.

28-29 “And now, Master God, being the God you are, speaking sure words as you do, and having just said this wonderful thing to me, please, just one more thing: Bless my family; keep your eye on them always. You’ve already as much as said that you would, Master God! Oh, may your blessing be on my family permanently!”

 

Gospel: Mark 4:21-25

Jesus went on: “Does anyone bring a lamp home and put it under a washtub or beneath the bed? Don’t you put it up on a table or on the mantel? We’re not keeping secrets, we’re telling them; we’re not hiding things, we’re bringing them out into the open.

 “Are you listening to this? Really listening?

 “Listen carefully to what I am saying—and be wary of the shrewd advice that tells you how to get ahead in the world on your own. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes.”

 

Prayer

Lord, our God,
we can perceive the brightness
of the message of Jesus, your Son,
only in the shade.
Make our faith grow, give us trust,
that what we now see
in obscurity and mystery
may grow clearer in our minds
and more evident in our actions.
And never allow us to obscure or hide
the kindly light
of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

Reflection:

 

Burn like a candle to empty oneself in humility 

Pope Francis explains today’s gospel by raising a few questions to examine ourselves. To What extent do I measure others? By what measure do I measure myself? Is it a generous measure, full of God’s love? Or is it a low level measure? Each of us has a style, “a way of measuring ourselves, things and others” and it will be the same that the Lord will use with us. So those who judge with selfishness, will be judged in the same way; those who have no mercy and, in order to climb in life, “are capable of trampling on everyone’s heads”, will be judged in the same way, that is, “without mercy”, says the pope. 

But, how do we know what is the acceptable measuring level for a Christian, a level that Jesus wants? It is the ability to be humble just as Jesus had humbled himself even unto death. It is the measure that Jesus had set for his disciples. A Christian who fails to be humble, lacks something.

Today’s Gospel invites us to be lamps that are lit to illuminate a world that passes through the darkness of a pandemic and its uncertainties. Our world still reels under the scary grip of numerous variants of the Covid-19; experts in the field foresee an economic recession across the globe and more people might die of famine and hunger than from the disease itself; Practicing religion and professing a faith are no longer appreciated by the society and moreover, they are even punishable and the believers are persecuted both by fundamentalists and governments. 

It is into such a darkened world, that the Word of God invites us to be lamps. The Gospel message is as relevant for today’s world as it has been in the time of Jesus. We have received the faith and by the virtue of our baptism, we live in the light of Christ. Now Jesus reminds us that the light that we have received is not meant to be hidden. It is meant to illuminate the whole surroundings with the light of Christ. It is in humility that we agree to burn like a candle, to give light and warmth to all around, while emptying oneself. 

Humanity is sinking into a pit of darkness, with growing inequalities, wars, the destruction of nature … Sadness and discouragement spread… darkness. In the midst of so much night, we are called to be light. We have received the gift of God, the Word, the Kingdom: It is this light that we have to transmit to the world. in the midst of so much hopelessness, sadness, selfishness and violence, let us shine with humility, hope, joy and love.

 

Video available on Youtube: Burn like a candle to empty oneself in humility