First Reading - Ezra 1:1-6
Gospel - Luke 8:16-18
Have you ever noticed how even the smallest light can change everything in a dark room? A single candle can chase away fear, guide our steps, and bring comfort where there was uncertainty. Light has power — not because it is loud or overwhelming, but because it simply shines.
This image helps us enter today’s readings. In the first reading, God stirs the heart of King Cyrus to allow His people to return from exile and rebuild the temple. The people who had lived in darkness and despair suddenly saw hope, like a light breaking through the night. They did not remain paralyzed by fear or discouragement; instead, they rose up with courage and acted. They carried forward God’s plan of renewal.
In the Gospel, Jesus reminds us that this light is never meant to be hidden under a vessel but placed on a stand to give light to all. Faith, once received, is not private property but a fire meant to spread. God entrusts us with His truth, His grace, and His mission so that the world may see His goodness shining through us.
Dear friends, God calls us to be bearers of light and builders of hope. The light He places in our hearts is not for hiding but for radiating. Like the returning exiles who rebuilt God’s house, we too are called to rebuild lives, relationships, and communities through faith, love, and witness. We cannot remain passive or indifferent. The world is waiting for people who will shine — people who will dare to bring hope where there is despair, healing where there is hurt, and truth where there is confusion.
The question for us today is simple yet challenging: how brightly is the lamp of our faith shining? Do others see in us the joy, the hope, and the courage that come from Christ? Or have we allowed fear, indifference, or complacency to dim the flame?
Let us not be content with a hidden faith. Let us be bold enough to shine, even when it is uncomfortable, even when it costs us something. The world does not need half-hearted witnesses; it needs disciples who live with conviction, courage, and joy.
So let us live as true light-bearers. Let our faith be visible in our words, our choices, and our actions. May our lives reflect Christ so clearly that others are drawn not to us, but to Him, the true Light of the world. And may that light never fade, but grow brighter every day until it dispels all darkness.
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