My Light for Your Glory, God

June 9 2009

Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

By Beth DeCristofaro

As God is faithful, our word to you is not "yes" and "no." …For however many are the promises of God, their Yes is in him; therefore, the Amen from us also goes through him to God for glory. (2 Corinthians 1:18, 20)

(Jesus said)…your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father. (Matthew 5:16)

Piety

Lord, you know me better than I know myself. Your Spirit pervades every moment of my life. Thank you for the grace and love you shower on me. Thank you for your constant, gentle invitation to let you into my life. Forgive me for the times I have refused that invitation and closed myself off from you. Help me in the day to come, to recognize your presence in my life, to open myself to you, to let you work in me, to your greater glory. Amen. (From www.sacredspace.ie)

Study

Paul seems to be in a kind of verbal sparring match with the Corinthians in this letter. There has been some offense given and taken. The footnotes in the NAB read: “Since Paul's own conduct will be under discussion here, he prefaces the section with a statement about his habitual behavior and attitude toward the community. He protests his openness, single-mindedness, and conformity to God's grace; he hopes that his relationship with them will be marked by mutual understanding and pride, which will constantly increase until it reaches its climax at the judgment.”

Paul stresses his commitment through reference to the trials he has undergone but also through his commitment to the word of God and his grounding in the Spirit given him by God. He reminds the Corinthians that they, too, have been given the Spirit and that God loves their endeavors. He stresses God’s fidelity to them.

Jesus reminds us that it isn’t about us…which is, in part, what Paul is trying to say. If we accept the presence and the influence of the Spirit, our duty is to be the lamp or the city on the hill not for our aggrandizement but for the glory of God. Paul reminds the ancient citizens of Corinth and us that argument, misunderstanding, personal slight, miscommunication might happen but in the beginning and in the end we are all subject to the presence and the power of God. Jesus tells us how: think, be and act for the glory of God. Don’t be a millstone of grumpiness or rigid duty-keeping or sanctimonious. Rather let the Spirit move the heart and let God’s presence shine through. We can only do this if we center our being in God. We can look at this as hard work, which it is, but we can also look at it as the possibility of experiencing and spreading joy.

Action

Lighthouses don’t consider with whom to share their light. They merely stand, good weather or horrid, reaching their guiding light to any ship within their range. They don’t have to question because they can’t. We have the opportunity to be like the lighthouse except that we can choose not to question or judge because we are filled with the gracing light of the Spirit. To whom can you be a beacon today?