Jesus emphasizes his teachings today with these comments: “Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.” and “Take care what you hear”. So obviously he wanted to place special importance on these parables about light and service within the Christian vocation. No one would light a candle and then cover it up with a basket. Such an action simply makes no sense. It would be contrary to the basic purpose of the candle. The early Christians recognized that sharing and announcing the faith, evangelization, is at the center of Christian life and vocation. The new experience of the Risen Christ and the joy and peace from their relationship with him “pushed” them to share their joy. They did not hesitate to announce the Risen Christ to all around them. They became a light to those around them.
Over the centuries we seem to have forgotten our primary mission to be light: announce and share our joy. We dedicate a lot of time to other activities in our daily lives. Even within the Church we become concerned about many things. The basic service of announcing the joy of the risen Christ is often forgotten. This is also true in our daily lives and in our families. In our current cultural context, it is very important to keep focused on transmitting our faith to the next generation. Without a devotion to being light and service for others, there is no real Christian vocation, family, or Church.
Image: https://lacatholics.org/2021/01/27/be-the-light/.