A few nights ago I woke up about an hour before I had planned to, pretty well rested but with a few unsettling things on my mind and heart. However as I lay there, a little song soon simply popped into my mind. 'This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine…'
My unsettlement dissipated rather quickly; a sense of trust came over me as I began to see the situations and options differently. at the same time I saw clearly what this well known cute little song is really saying!
It’s an old Gospel tune from the tradition of African American Christianity, from the experience of black slaves who, in their servitude and suffering found their solace and strength in Jesus. It was adopted by the Civil Rights Movement here in the U.S. in the 1960's, and remains a song that can bring hope to people.
It was, without doubt, born as a reflection precisely on these Words of the Lord about the lamp on a lampstand. What is the lamp?
In this part of Mark’s Gospel the Lord has been teaching about the Word of God and the Kingdom of God. HE is the Word and the Kingdom is present in Him. HE IS THE LIGHT.
Singing "This little light of mine" could be a nice little ditty to cheer you up with a vague sort of hope. But how much better to wake up to what it really means. Christ is our Light. The Kingdom of God is really among us.
Christ lives in me. Christ lives in you. How aware of that great truth are we? He wants us to wake up to know that truly!
He wants to live and shine in your heart, in your home, in your family, in concrete everyday ways! He wants to shine in our Church, and, through us in our World. We must be the lampstand!
The Sacraments of the Church are real actions of Christ, His grace to work in our lives. In our Baptism we washed clean of sin and filled with the Light of Christ.
Every time I attend Mass and receive communion, Christ, our Light, truly enters me - how glorious is communion with Christ, our Light!
