DAILY GOSPEL COMMENTARY: THE LAMP ON THE LAMPSTAND (Lk 8:16-18).
GOSPEL OF MONDAY, 25TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Lk 8:16–18
Jesus said to the crowd: “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.”
GOSPEL COMMENTARY
The light is placed on the candlestick to illuminate men. Origen affirms:
- “Christ deals here with the spiritual light. The lamp has a great meaning in Sacred Scripture. Israel, to signify fidelity to God and continuity of prayer, makes a lamp burn perpetually in the sanctuary (Ex 27:20). To allow it to be extinguished would be to make God understand that he is abandoned (2Ch 29: 7). Vice versa, blessed are those who watch in expectation of the Lord, like the sensible virgins (Mt 25, 1-8) or the faithful servant ( Lk 12:35), whose lamps are still lit. God expects even more from his faithful: instead of leaving the lamp under the bushel or bed (Mt 5, 15 ff; Lk 8, 16-18), the faithful himself must glow like a shine of light in the midst of a perverse world in darkness (Phil 2, 15), like Elijah once, “whose word burned like a torch” (Sir 48, 1) or like John the Baptist: ”A lamp that burned and shone ” (Jn 5:35), to give testimony of the true Light, which is Christ. Thus the Church, over Peter and Paul, the two olive trees and the two lampstands that are before the Lord of the earth (Ap 11, 4), must radiate the glory of the Son of Man until the end of time (Commentary on Saint Luke 1, 12ff).
Each Christian, by virtue of Baptism has received God’s grace. By his holy life, he is expected to shine in the place where God put him so that world covered by darkness caused by evil be illumined, and other men would discover the right path which leads to Christ, the Light of the World.
Do we radiate Christ’s life with our word, example and deeds? Or do we contribute to an ever increasing darkness in our environment.
May God, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, be always in our thoughts, words, actions and heart.
Stay safe and God bless!
Fr. Rolly Arjonillo
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