Thursday in the Third Week of Ordinary Time, January 27, 2021

Mark 4:21-25

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 lamp-stand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light. Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.” He also told them, “Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you. To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lamp-stand?”  Lots of Christians shy away from public scrutiny of any kind.  They come to Mass and may even be seen in line for Confession, but will not volunteer for simple tasks at their parish.  While reasons may exist for this, there is a tendency to not want to get “involved”: a yes to helping put away chairs after a parish event might lead to being asked to do some more public or demanding work, and we do not want to be placed in a position where we would have to say no.  But this is thinking of ourselves, and not of what we are for as members of Christ.  After all, what are we for?  Our job is not to shine in secret but wherever the Lord deigns to place us.  And if we are “lamps” with whom the Lord shares his Light, then we should expect to be placed by him in dark places.  And every place is dark until the Christian enters it.  To be a Christian and to hide are two incompatible things.  Whether we are Poor Clares living in a cloistered world or a politician in a big city, we shine to those around us by virtue of our faith.  A lit lamp cannot help but to shine.  And a lit lamp that seeks to avoid shining is an unnatural and useless thing.  We shine because we are leant light by the Light, and because we are his his and the light we are leant is his, we allow him to place us where he wills.  It is our job and privilege to shine as brightly as we can, persevering in our faith, assisting others, and aiding in their conversion and strengthening.  We remember how the Lord said, “Unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required: and to whom they have committed much, of him they will demand the more” (Luke 12, 48). He speaks of the greatest thing which can be given to a human being — the gift of faith.

“For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light.”  The Christian makes the truth visible.  That is, the one who believes in Christ shows the people of this world — those who dwell in the darkness of their selfishness — the Lord Jesus.  The eyes of those who live in darkness and know nothing else will go blind if they are overwhelmed by the Light himself, as we see in the case of St. Paul’s conversion.  But we who are the lights of the Light are given the work of accustoming their eyes and preparing them, by our own faith and sanctity, for the True Light which has come into the world.  The Lord does not intend to remain beyond their understanding but passionately desires us to help make him visible to those who cannot fully bear him now.  “Nothing is secret except to come to light.”  The Lord, born in a cave outside Bethlehem and raised in a tiny village in the hinterland, did not remain in these places.  Neither did he appear far beyond these places so that he might share the glory of the bringing of his Light to all the nations with us, his little lamps, whom he loves most dearly.