Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest
“No one lights a lamp to conceal it or place it under a bed. Rather they place it on a lampstand so that all may see the light.” —Luke 8:16.
“When others see us, may they not see us but the Christ light shining through us.” —CS Lewis.
Our light, who is Christ, was meant to shine through those inflamed with his light. Have you met such persons along the way, those who “shine like the sun”? Christ-light people (“Christ-lighters”) have an inner serenity which adversity cannot ruffle. They have a strength that illness cannot weaken. They have a confidence that not even dying can wipe away. Their inner light shines from deep within – the light of Christ.
Perhaps the following poem encapsulates such a person and serves as a challenge to us:
“Not merely in the words you say,
Not only in your deeds confessed,
But in some unconscious way
Is Christ expressed?
Is it a beatific smile?
A holy light upon your brow?
Oh I felt his presence
When you laughed just now.
To me, ’twas not the truth you taught,
To you so clear, to me still dim,
But when you came you brought a sense of him.
And from your eyes he beckons me
And from your heart his love is shed,
Till I lose sight of you and see
The light of Jesus Christ instead.”—John R. Stott
To be this light requires radical conversion, and surrender. Christ-lighters live simply. They are not obsessed with regret for the past nor with anxieties for the future. They never measure themselves against others but only by the light of the Gospel. Christ-lighters joyfully surrender everyday.
The world admires those “on top,” the successful, the tough, the brash, the achievers and the “winners.” But Jesus says, “Be humble before God.” The world is concerned with appearances and wealth. “Look out for number one.” But Christ-lighters know that the pure of heart and the meek are blessed and that, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Bullying, cruelty and pathological lying for the sake of advancement and power are the modus operandi of some national leaders. Millions follow them. Malignant narcissism runs amuck. But the model Jesus gives us is the little child dependent on God.
A helpful remedy is the Suscipe of St. Ignatius Loyola, a surrender prayer that may assist in seeking the Christ-light:
“Take, Lord, receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. You have given all to me. To you, O Lord, I return it. Dispose of it wholly according to your will. Give me your love and your grace, for this is sufficient for me.”
—Timothy J. Cronin