Gospel: Lk 8:16-18
No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a bowl or puts it under the bed; rather, he puts it on a lamp stand, so that people coming in may see the light. In the same way, there is nothing hidden that shall not be uncovered; nothing kept secret, that shall not be known clearly. Now, pay attention and listen well, for whoever produces, will be given more; but from those who do not produce, even what they seem to have will be taken away from them.“REFLECTION:
Jesus‘s listeners would have laughed at the imagery Jesus used: It is utterly dark in the house, but someone lights a lamp only to cover it with a bowl or place it under the bed! Of course, no one in the right frame of mind would do it. However, Jesus warns us that in our spiritual life, we do such silly things—we do not listen carefully to the Word of God which is a “lamp to our feet“ (Psalm 119:105), but cover it up, effectively blocking its life-giving energy from affecting us. Just as Mary listened to God‘s word and conceived it in her womb and brought forth, we must listen to the word and expose our whole being to it so that it produces fruit abundantly. St. James teaches us about how to listen correctly:
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.“ (James 1:22-24)