You Are the Light of the World

June 12, 2007

Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:16

Piety

Jesus, you said you want us to be like a city on a hill and let our light shine for the world. Help us to take our beliefs from the sanctuary to the streets praising your name and performing good works from those who are naked, hungry, thirsty, imprisoned and the sick. When we do good deeds for these sisters and brothers, we help them fulfill their promise and grow in the image and likeness of God through your intervention. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/061207.shtml

What does it say?

After delivering the Beatitudes to the crowd gathered on the hillside in the famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus then builds up his listeners, not by focusing on those who are poor, meek or persecuted, but rather saying that the people of God are shining examples for the world to see.

Salt is a seasoning that helps add flavor as well as preserve the goodness and purity of food.

A city on a hill calls to mind an image of a fortress, built high to defend itself yet easily accessible by friends who are looking for it.

What does it mean?

By their deeds the disciples are to influence the world for good. They can no more escape notice than a city set on a mountain. If they fail in good works, they are as useless as flavorless salt or as a lamp whose light is concealed.

Jesus uses the image of light shining before the world to emphasize that he is preaching a faith that is not to be hidden away in the temple and forgotten. In the Gospel of John, Jesus Himself is the light of the world. Here in Matthew, Jesus calls the members of the church the light of the world. Through their good deeds, people will come to know the goodness of the church and how its members help the world.

What does it matter?

Jesus is encouraging his audience to be a part of the world --- actively and work to preserve and purify their surroundings with good deeds that will reflect well on the church and glorify God.

Lamps, light and salt are metaphors that play an important role throughout salvation history in both the Hebrew Bible and the Good News. From Genesis to the brides awaiting the groom, light is used to separate good from evil, as well as good (workers) from the bad (lazy) workers.

These images converge – salt, light, and city to portray a hopeful image to the audience listening to the Sermon on the Mount. This convergence reminds me of a famous photograph by the late Galen Rowell in which a city on a hill is illuminated by a rainbow.

Mr. Rowell was not thinking about the Gospel of Matthew when he made this famous image. However, this image provides a sign of hope and shows God’s fingers touching the city on a hill.

Action

Tomorrow on June 13, you have the chance to once again encourage Governor Tim Kaine to be a light for the world to see by opposing the execution of Christopher Scott Emmett.

Since 1976, Virginia has used the death penalty more than any state except Texas. Nevertheless, on June 13 our Commonwealth faces the possibility of yet another execution. On that date, Christopher Scott Emmett is currently scheduled to die by lethal injection. It is critical for Governor Kaine to hear from Virginians expressing their opposition to the use of capital punishment when non-lethal measures to protect society, such as life imprisonment without parole, are available.

As the Virginia Catholic bishops recently noted in an Op-Ed column appearing in the April 29 edition of The Washington Post (link), “the death penalty must be viewed as a ‘last resort,’ to be used only when -- in the words of Pope John Paul II – ‘it would not be possible otherwise to defend society.’” Bishops DiLorenzo and Loverde also observed in their column that our neighboring states are moving away from the death penalty, while Virginia continues to use it at an alarming rate. Because Virginia has the option of sentencing dangerous offenders to life in prison without parole, the Virginia bishops “are convinced that -- in our time and place -- the death penalty is unnecessary and inappropriate, and that death sentences should no longer be imposed or carried out in Virginia.” (Id.)

In solidarity with the bishops’ appeal, please take action here to contact Governor Kaine and urge him to commute Mr. Emmett’s sentence to life in prison. If you prefer to contact the Governor’s office by telephone, please do so at (804) 786-2211. Please also consider forwarding this alert to others, such as family and friends, who may be interested in responding.