Lord, let your face shine on us.--Psalm 4:7
Mass readings: 1 Kings 17:7-16 / Matthew 5:13-16
I've always liked Debbie Boone's love song, ''You Light Up My Life.'' In today's Gospel reading, Jesus tells us, ''You are the light of the world.'' Perhaps we can best appreciate His meaning by considering what comes a few verses earlier: ''Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me.'' No sweet romanticism here. Like the lamp that gives light to the whole house, our words and actions must give light to the whole world.
Our challenge is to live our faith in the public arena, not just in private. This may well bring insult and worse. But -- to borrow the next line of Boone's song -- we can tell Jesus, ''You give me hope to carry on.''
Prayer: Lord, help me bring the light of the Gospel through my words and actions.