Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

In today's reading from the Gospel of Matthew, we find Jesus telling His disciples that they are the light of the world. As His followers, His disciples, we too are the light of the world. This is more than a calling, it is a fact. We are the light of the world. Our calling is to let our light, which is Jesus, shine before others. Jesus links his discussion of the light of the world with a city on a mountain, and with the light of a lamp. Such associations would have had aclear connection with the Temple in Jerusalem for his hearers. Jerusalem is a city on a mountain, which itself has seven hills much like Rome. And the Temple was on top, which is the origin of the phrase, going up to theTemple. And within the Temple was the paradigmatic lamp, the golden menorah, which lit the Temple.

Just so, we are the light of the world. Like the Temple, God's presence dwells within us. In later centuries of the early church, Gnostics went around contrasting light and darkness, but already in and before Jesus'time, we find this imagery, and even this form of dualism, predating the Gnostics among Jews, for example near the Dead Sea at Qumran.

Taking his cues from creation in Genesis 1, John's Gospel highlights the distinction between the Light, Who is Jesus, and the darkness. We must let our light of Christ shine before others. How do we do this? Jesus tells us in Matthew that we do so by our good deeds.

When we do good, others may recognize this and glorify God. When others glorify God becauseof our love, our kindness, then we see that our light is shining before others. Let us think of some act of kindness we might be able to do today or sometime this week. Let's also try to be aware of when opportunities present themselves where we can do good. But let's do the good we are called to do, not for our own glory, not so that people look at us and think well of us, but rather so that God may be glorified.

- Jeff Morrow