In the Gospel of the Mass we read this teaching of the Lord: No one lights a lamp and covers it with a jar or puts it under the bed; he puts it on the lampstand so that those who enter may have light.
Whoever follows Christ - whoever lights a lamp - must not only work for his own sanctification, but also for that of others. The Lord illustrates this with various images that are very expressive and accessible to the simple people who listen to him. In every house the lamp shone at nightfall, and everyone knew where it was placed and why. The candle is to illuminate and had to be placed high up, perhaps hanging from a fixed support placed just for that purpose. No one would think of hiding it in such a way that its light would be hidden. What would be the use of it then?
You are the light of the world, he had said on another occasion to his disciples. The light of the disciple is the same as that of the Master. Without this radiance of Christ, society remains in the thickest darkness. And when one walks in darkness, one stumbles and falls. Without Christ, the world becomes difficult and uninhabitable.
Christians are there to illuminate the environment in which they live and work. A disciple of Christ without light cannot be understood: he would be like a candle hidden under a jar or tucked under a bed. How well those who listen to him would understand him! The Second Vatican Council emphasized the obligation of the apostolate, a right and duty born of Baptism and Confirmation, to the point that, since the Christian is part of the Mystical Body, "the member who does not contribute according to his measure to the increase of this Body, must be said to profit neither the Church nor himself". This apostolate, which has so many different forms, is continuous, just as the light that enlightens those who are in the house is continuous. "The very witness of Christian life and works done in a supernatural spirit are effective in drawing people to the faith and to God". Even those who do not yet believe in Christ must see their way illuminated by the brightness of the works of those who follow the Master. "For all Christians, wherever they live, by the example of their lives and the witness of their words, are obliged to show forth the new man with whom they have been clothed by Baptism, and in whom they have been strengthened by Confirmation, so that others, when they see their works, may glorify the Father and discover the true meaning of life and the universal bond of all men".
Let us examine today whether those who work side by side with us, those who live in the same home, those who deal with us for professional or social reasons... receive that light that points out the kindly path that leads to God. Let us consider whether they themselves feel moved to be better.