SAINT NICHOLAS

Byzantine Catholic Church
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23300 King Drive, Clinton Township, MI 48035   *   +1-586-791-1052   *   stnicksbyzantine@yahoo.com

The Parable of the Lamp

“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a pot or places it under a bed. Rather he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing is concealed that will not be made known and brought to light. Take great care, therefore, about how you listen. For to the one who has, more will be given; from the one who does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.”

Then his mother and his brethren arrived, looking for him, but they could not get near him because of the crowd. He was told, “Your mother and your brethren are standing outside, and they want to see you.” But he replied, “My mother and my brethren are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The meaning of this Holy Gospel:

· Jesus' statement is almost funny -- and he probably smiled when he said it. If you're going to light a lamp, you do it for illumination, not to hide or conceal it. If that were your purpose, you wouldn't light it at all.

· The light of the lamp in 8:16 is the Word of God, the message of the Kingdom that Jesus has been proclaiming all over Galilee.

· This message of the Kingdom of God must not be hidden or just whispered in secret. Rather, it must be proclaimed openly and clearly "so that those who come in can see the light," so that it will provide illumination and power.

· Not be afraid to shine. Do not have a fear:

- Fear of persecution,

- Fear of being ostracized from "respectable society",

- Fear to be expelled from the community institutions,

- Fear that you won't be accepted,
- Fear of ridicule,
- Fear that this will affect your business,
- Fear that you will lose your job.
- Fear…

· Hearing God's word and putting it into practice is the message that must be indelibly tattooed upon our minds.

· Those who go under the name "Christian" but haven't really followed Jesus and put into practice his teachings will hear, in the last day, "I never knew you".