Friar’s Corner: Keeping your God-light shining
1 Kings 3:5, 7-12; Psalm 119:57, 72, 76-77. 127-130; Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-46
“Heavenly King, comforted, Spirit of Truth, Who are everywhere present and fill all things. Treasury of Blessings and giver of Life, come and increase Your presence within us, cleanse us of all stain and save us oh gracious Lord.” This is the Holy Spirit prayer that the Eastern churches pray before all the sacraments.
How do we keep God’s light on in our lives? I have thought of an earlier century in a major city like London, of a man going through the streets lighting the street lamps. Now it is all done electronically by a timer. I am thinking of us all as various sizes and shapes of lamps. What is the purpose of a lamp? It gives light in a dark place. St Luke 8:16 tells us to put the lamp on a table where it gives light in the house. In these days of virus darkness, God calls us to be His lights.
Keeping the light
As I was awakened to this idea last night, I know Jesus is our light. In St. John’s gospel we find 10 lines about Jesus as our light. The last one is special, “I came into the world as its Light, to keep anyone who believes in Me from remaining in the dark.” Beautiful.
So how do we get and keep this light? As we read the gospel stories we come to see who Jesus was and what He came to earth to do for us. We want to activate our baptismal commitment. Jesus is our way, truth and new life, John 14:6. Thus the channel for this divine light is already in us. We need to turn it on and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in this light. St. John 14:26 tells us, “The Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, will INSTRUCT you in everything, and REMIND you of all that I told you.”
Turn on the Jesus-light
To turn our God-light on, we need to plug our lamp cord into God’s power socket, our baptism. Then we can turn on the Jesus-light inside of us. Knowing and loving Jesus empowers us to radiate His light and love to others. To keep our lights on we need to repent of all our past sins and beg God for His mercy and love. Then we pray various types and styles of Christian prayer. Frequent daily Mass is our greatest “power generator or power source.”
Praying daily the Divine Office or shorter Christian prayer, which I mentioned last week. This gives us a four-week morning, evening and night time formula for “keeping our God-lights on.” Using these forms of prayer intensifies our God-light. It is the unlimited power source. Jesus also gave to St. Faustina in 1933, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy which only takes 6 minutes to pray. Jesus asked us to pray that chaplet often. He said, “I desire that the whole world know My infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those would who trust in My mercy, if it is in accordance with the will of God. Jesus asks us to TRUST His great love to be poured out on us and the world.
Flying Eagles Club
The understanding of these great gifts and treasures God has given us is growing more strongly these confusing days. God wants us to be more confident of these great blessings. He wants us to glow and radiate His great love in the world today. He asked me to form a “flying eagles club,” equipped with His divine power as “ghostbusters,” equipped to drive out devils and their forces. The power tips: 1) frequent Masses, 2) praying part of “Shorter Christian Prayer,” 3) reading the New Testament gospel stories and 4) praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and if you are led to a daily rosary for Mary’s help, wonderful. Praise God!
Now you are part of the “Flying Eagles Club” to shine brighter for Jesus. “This Little Light of Mine, I’m going to let it shine.” Or “Lift Jesus higher; lift Him up for the world to see. If I am lifted up, I will draw all people unto me.” This “lamplighter” has lit you up, now repent and shine. The more of us who are lighted up, the more we can help Jesus drive out the darkness around us. Amen?
Safe blessings in His light,
+ Father Bob Hilz
fbhilz@gmail.com
(© 2020 Father Bob Hilz, TOR)
