You are the light of the world … let your light shine!
Homily preached February 5, 2023
by Monsignor Michael Deering

We’ve had our share of rain the last three weeks so things are pretty soggy ... but I don’t feel bad... because I don’t care how much it rains... as long as there’s no wind!

Yes, living here the last several years in the Tuscaloosa to Birmingham corridor that often experiences Tornadoes, I’m aware of how damaging they can be.

Even w/o a Tornado, high winds can take down power lines and leave us in the dark

I’ve actually experienced that twice when evening winds broke tree branches that fell on the power lines by my house and kicked the Breaker and left me w/o power.

Each time that happened, I would slowly walk to my bedroom to get my bedside flashlight and then find my way to the hall closet to get my emergency candles.

Once I got them lit I’d call Alabama Power and they sent a serviceman out right away in a bucket truck ... and he reset the 2 breakers that had been tripped.

How great it was to have the inside of my home lit up once again. You don’t know how much you need the light until you don’t have it ... even in your own home!

Light is essential for us to do just about everything ... except sleeping!

Well, just as light is essential to find our way in the physical world ...

   Light is also essential to find our way in the spiritual world.

There are two realms there too …the realm of light and the realm of darkness.

The Apostle John indicates this when he describes God in his first Letter ... writing:

“God is light. In Him there is no darkness at all.”

He goes on                     “If we say ‘we have fellowship with Him’,

    while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie.”

   “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,

      then we have fellowship with one another.”

So, the physical world contains both light and darkness … there’s day and night, and

the spiritual world also contains both light and darkness … there’s good and evil.

Why do you think God sent His Son to be with us?

Was it to reward us for being good? 

Or, was it to save us from being evil?         We know the answer.

It was to save us from doing evil!

Yes, the world was wandering in the darkness of sin and needed a light

to illuminate the spiritual path we needed to travel to find our way

to the One who is Light ... the One in whom there is no darkness at all.

Jesus is that Light!    He is the Light that guides us to the Father.

Which is exactly how He described Himself in John 8:12 that our Cantor just sang

where Jesus says:

    “ I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will have the light of life.”

That was our Gospel Acclamation today ... to which we all sang ...

“Alleluia   Alleluia   Alleluia”!

where Alleluia means “Praise the Lord”!       Yes indeed ... Praise the Lord!

This wonderful truth of Jesus being the Light coming to light up our dark world

is powerfully presented each year at the Easter Vigil Mass.

If you’ve never attended the Easter Vigil Mass, make plans to come this year!

The Liturgy begins at 8 PM with The Priest and Servers and Catechumens all standing outside in the dark and all the people seated in the Church in the dark.

The Priest then starts a fire outside, blesses the fire and lights the new Paschal Candle with the blessed fire. That Paschal Candle, representing Christ ...

is then brought in procession up to the front of the Church.

While carrying the newly lit Paschal Candle up the aisle,

The Deacon pauses 3 times and exclaims:

“Christ our light!”

To which all the people respond, “Thanks be to God!”

Yes, indeed, Thanks be to God … for without the Light of Christ, we’d still be wallowing in the darkness of sin, which is separation from God, who is light.

You see, a truly wonderful thing that Jesus did was… He shared His light with us!

He didn’t just come as the Light ... no, He came and shared His light with us!

Yes, in Baptism, and again in Confirmation ... we receive the grace of God’s  

   Holy Spirit ... which illuminates our soul with the Light of Christ ...

so that we can carry it with us ... and ... share the Light of Christ with others! 

We see a dramatic depiction of this at the Easter Vigil Mass as the people at the end of each pew have their candles lit from the Newly lit Paschal Candle and they light the person’s candle next to them  so that soon the whole Church that started in darkness is now aglow in light … with light radiating from each person there!

I typically ask the people look around to see how light overcame the darkness.

Once our soul has been ignited by the light of Christ ...

 we can hold that light so that  it can be seen by others ... and ...

we can pass it on to those around us.

And in passing on the Light ... we don’t lose our Light ... we keep it  ...

so now we both have it!  

This is what Jesus is talking about in our Gospel today when He says,

“(No one) lights a lamp and then puts it under a bushel basket.”

No, Jesus says, “(They) set it on a lampstand where it gives light to all.”

And He immediately relates this to the spiritual realm saying,

“Just so, your light must shine before others,

that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Heavenly Father.”

Have you ever thought of yourself as being a light?

Perhaps you’ve experienced someone who comes into the room and lights it up ...

with their smile, their attitude, their joy, their humor, their personality.

Such a person can have a big effect on the group.           And so can you!

Yes, you can too … if you let the light of Christ shine out from you!

And guess what?     You already have the light!

Yes, you have the Light of Christ in you ... and your job is to let it shine before all.

That’s what St. Paul did.   Listen to what he says in our second Reading:

“For I came to you … and my message and proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of Spirit and power.”

Paul wrote 13 letters there in the Bible ... that’s almost ½ of the New Testament!

He was an excellent writer ... but maybe not the greatest preacher.

He admits this here and then gives credit to the Holy Spirit for empowering him

in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ.

What Paul lacked in public speaking skills, he made up for with passion and determination.     God gives us what we need to spread the light of Christ,

Paul had the Holy Spirit alive in him ... and it filled him with great power.

His writings show his mastery of the Greek language and they still guide us to this day.

And those of you baptized and confirmed ... you have the Holy Spirit alive in you.

And having this Gift of God’s wisdom & power brings with it certain responsibilities,

one of which is to let the light that Christ you’ve been given shine to the world.

Remember how you use flashlights when it’s dark outside or the power goes out!

That light helps you to find your way in the darkness.

Well, this world of ours is still in spiritual darkness ...

 in that it’s often operating apart from the ways of God, who is Light.

So, God has gifted us with His Holy Spirit

and He’s counting on us to bring spiritual light to our dark world.

If we do, then the world will be able to see and to find it’s way to goodness and

ultimately to God.

You know that you don’t turn a flashlight on and then place it under a blanket.

You would just burn out the batteries and you’ve accomplished nothing.

In a similar way, God doesn’t inflame us with His light and His love just so that we can keep it to ourselves. No ... the Gospels often speak of how God always expects us to reap a fruitful harvest with the graces that He gives us.

God doesn’t want us to be faint of heart,

which is why he gives us the gift of Courage as one of the seven Gifts.

He wants us to be confident and courageous

 as we strive to bring Christ’s light to a cold and dark world!

That Alabama Power Service Man came out in nasty conditions!

It was dark ... it was cold and raining ... and there he was 40 feet off the ground working close to 600 KV ... that’s 600,000 Volts ...  As an electrical engineer,

I knew it was very dangerous so I was praying hard for God to protect this guy!

And when he repositioned the second breaker using the insulated rod to slam it into place ... it stuck ... and when I looked back at my house ... the lights were on!

That man brought me the light ... in nasty conditions ... and I was so happy!

When he came down I thanked him and tried to give him a tip.

But he wouldn’t take it ... he said, “I’m just doing my job.”

Wow! Just doing his job ... spreading the light!

        Well, by baptism, that’s our job too!

Except, we’re not asked to spread 600 KV ... but something much more powerful

... the light of Jesus Christ ... the All-Powerful Son of God!

And we’re asked to do it even in nasty conditions ... in a world that doesn’t know God ... or doesn’t want to hear about God ... or doesn’t even believe He exists!

Yes, today Jesus says to all of us:      “You are the light of the world!”

Notice He didn’t say: “you have the light”.      He said: “you are the light”!

Wow!          How does that make you feel?          Pretty special I hope.

By being the light, others will be able to find their way … to God  ...

... God, in whom there is no darkness at all!

As we heard in our Responsorial Psalm,

“The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.” 

Yes indeed, God calls us to be like Him … and be the light of the world.

This doesn’t mean you have to stand on a soapbox and preach on a street corner.

No it means using the gifts you’ve been given to spread

the goodness & kindness & joy & hope and compassion and care of Jesus Christ!

You can do it at the Wal-Mart and the Post Office and everywhere you go.

It could be as simple as offering someone a compliment or giving them a smile!

Lets’ spread the light of Christ to all as we remember Jesus’ promise:

“I am the light of the world”, says the Lord;

“whoever follows me will have the light of life.”