So often, we shy away from goodness and compliments. Instead, we struggle to accept compliments, excusing them as an obscured opinion or putting them down to a new item of clothing we might be wearing. This could be due to our conditioning and the fact that we have been
indirectly taught to think very little of ourselves.
The Lord is generous with compliments this week. Yesterday he told us we are the salt of the earth and that we ought to bring
godliness to our world. Today, he tells us we are the light of the world. Why do we not believe him when he says these beautiful things about us?
Our lives are evidence that we do not see
ourselves as light bearers of the world. We are shy about our faith and God. We treat others poorly, pass judgement on our fellow Christians for their different life experiences and choices, and we lack compassion and empathy. We are also judgemental and harsh to ourselves, failing to forgive and forget mistakes that we might have made in the past after we have taken responsibility for them, especially those that relate directly to our faith history.
Pope Benedict XVI reminds us: “We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary.” May this be a reminder for those times our flame burns out or when we are doubtful of what we are. St. John also tells us that light shines in the darkness and cannot be
overpowered.
Does your life reflect that you are the light of the world? How might you change this? Where in your life is the Lord inviting you to bring your light? How might you do
this?
