2 Tm 1:1-8 OR Ti 1:1-5 Ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10 Mk 4:21-25

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer The Daily Reflections

“Jesus said to his disciples, 'Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light.'” -Mark 4:21-22

In this Gospel passage I am struck by the image of light. We all have a light within us and this light is a gift from God. The lights within us are wonderful and unique, and it is our job to let these lights within us shine for others to see. Our lights can be anything from having compassion or the gift of humor or even just having the ability to be a good friend and listener to others in need. The lights within us should not be covered or placed “under a bushel basket”; instead we should let these gifts that God gave us shine so brightly that all those we come in contact with feel the worth of our love and the love of God.

I also think that Jesus was referring to the light as the Word of God: just by hearing God’s Word we have a light within us. We have all heard that we are loved and saved by Jesus and we are called to spread this message to everyone we meet, especially those who are stuck in a dark time. We need to be the light in their lives giving them the courage and strength to let their own lights shine bright. Even though we are all faced with dark times and obstacles we need to make sure that our lights are still shining brightly. Jesus’ words turn the darkness to light and fill our lives and the world with light and hope. We cannot just take God’s love and mercy for granted; we need to make sure that we are spreading his love to everyone. Today, let us be challenged to let our lights shine and help all those we encounter find their light.