Shining light

Your light must shine before others. (Matthew 5:16)

Everyone loves to see a rainbow etched in the sky right after a rainstorm. The prism effect of colors splashed across a line of clouds never ceases to amaze us. Science tells us that it is actually white light from the sun that separates into a spectrum of colors as it passes through water in the atmosphere.

Today’s Gospel speaks of Jesus’ light as one that “must shine before others” in a way that glorifies his heavenly Father (Matthew 5:16). Imagine the light of Christ as that white light. When his light touches us, each of us displays a slightly different color, and together we, the Church, become like a beautiful rainbow painted across the sky.

It’s such a beautiful image, but many of us tend to think that we have nothing to offer—no light to shine. If that’s how you feel, let’s look at a possible remedy.

Nothing can help overturn discouraging thoughts like remembering who you are in Christ. No matter how you are doing—whether you are feeling healthy or ill, energetic or exhausted, close to God or far from him—Jesus is still in you and with you. In the same way that a father loves his child, God loves you simply for who you are. He is committed to you, and he will never leave you. 

What does this mean? That you really are part of his beautiful rainbow—by virtue of his presence in you. So you can reject any thought that tries to tell you that other people may possess great gifts—but not you. You can reject any thought that tries to convince you that God’s light won’t shine through you until you are perfect. Nobody’s perfect!

Spiritual writer Caryll Houselander once put it this way: “Sometimes it may seem to us that there is no purpose to our lives, that going day after day for years to this office or that school or factory is nothing else but waste and weariness. But it may be that God has sent us there because but for us Christ would not be there. If our being there means that Christ is there, that alone makes it worthwhile.” 

You are part of God’s beautiful rainbow. This is the truth. So go out and let that rainbow shine!

“Lord, help me shine my ‘Christ light’ today.”

from wau.org

No to discouragement

If anybody had a right to be discouraged, it was St. Paul. During the course of his ministry, he was beaten, shipwrecked, betrayed, slandered, and imprisoned. Today’s second reading gives us some insight into the way Paul handled all of this. Mind you, Paul was a tough guy by nature, but we can’t think that he was impervious to the stress and strain of the life he had chosen. The key is that he didn’t let discouragement overtake him and rule his life.

Discouragement can make us feel hopeless. It can drain us of all energy and prevent us from keeping up with our everyday tasks. If not dealt with, it is also contagious. It can spread through your whole house. So let’s look at one way we can deal with discouragement.

At the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me” (John 14:1). Here he was about to face the cross, and yet he spent his last hours on earth helping his friends—by urging them to trust in God. As comforting as these words sound, they also contain a vital strategy: Hold on to your faith! Trust that my Father and I won’t abandon you.

 

Whenever we face times of discouragement, we can picture Jesus saying to us, “Don’t let your heart be troubled. It’s true that in the world you will have trouble, but never doubt that I have conquered the world” (see John 16:33). 

St. Paul, echoing Jesus, assures us that nothing can separate us from God’s love (Roman 8:38-39). It’s the knowledge of this truth that kept him from giving in to discouragement. This same motto can help us too. 

So the next time you start feeling discouraged, think like Paul. Keep telling yourself that God knows the situation. He feels your pain. He is with you. Never forget that nothing can separate you from his love. 

“Jesus, help me to hold fast to your promises.”

from wau.org