September 19, 2011
St. Januarius
Dear Family of Mary!
The Gospel for today is all about light:
"No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hid that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light. Take heed then how you hear; for to him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away."
(Luke 8:16-18)
Our Lady gave a message in 2010 that also talks about light. In fact I think her message helps me to understand the gospel reading better. Here is her message:
"Dear children! With motherly perseverance and love I am bringing you the light of life to destroy the darkness of death in you. Do not reject me, my children. Stop and look within yourselves and see how sinful you are. Be aware of your sins and pray for forgiveness. My children, you do not desire to accept that you are weak and little, but you can be strong and great by doing God's will. Give me your cleansed hearts that I may illuminate them with the light of life, my Son. Thank you."
(November 02, 2010)
Jesus says in the Gospel that no one who lights a lamp will cover it up. That makes no sense. The light is for illuminating, for making things visible, for revealing what is in darkness. But Our Lady tells us that she is bringing the Light of Life into our darkness and we are rejecting it. She comes into our heart with the Jesus, the Light, and we want to cover that Light up! Why? Because it reveals something in our hearts and lives that we don't want to see. She says that we need to stop and look within ourselves and see how sinful we are. The Light she brings will help us to see those sins.
Again, Jesus says in the Gospel "... nothing is hid that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light." He warns that we may try to hide our sins forever, but that one day there will be such a light that we will not be able to reject it, we will have to submit to it and it will reveal everything. That light is the Day of Judgment. It will come. But Our Lady tells us that she is with us now to help us submit to the light before the Judgment, submit to it now, when we can own up to our sins and pray for forgiveness.
Finally, Jesus says, "Take heed how you hear..." This is a serious warning. Take heed how we hear. Take heed how receptive we are to the Word of God. Take heed how open we are to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Take heed how well we comprehend the messages of Our Lady. We need the light that comes to us through them. That light will help us to see and change our lives now, to repent and become clean now, so that we can do the will of God now.
Hearing is receiving the light that comes from God. Hearing is being obedient to that Light, ready to follow that Light, able to accept that Light. Hearing is obeying. And so Our Lady says, "You do not desire to accept that you are weak and little, but you can be strong and great by doing God's will. Give me your cleansed hearts that I may illuminate them with the light of life, my Son."If we listen to Our Lady, accept the Light she brings, which is to see and accept our weakness and littleness, we will be cleansed and able to do God's will. What a turn around this is! The weak, small, sinful, and lost can become the great ones of God. Those who hear well will receive more!
May we all welcome the Light that Mary brings to us, the Light of the Holy Spirit, the Light which is Jesus, so that we can see our faults and weaknesses and be changed. Then, as we begin to do God's will, we will help to change the world.
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