FEATURED
from Vatican Radio
English translation exclusive to this website
We are light, but what kind of light are we? We irradiate around us that which is in the depths of our hearts. As the great Fr Oreste Benzi said, “Who we are shouts louder that what we say”. Is the light emanated by Christians a matter of their integrity, their honesty, their moral coherence? Not exactly. Such a light would be of little interest because it would be dependent on our poor human qualities. Jesus says, rather, that when people see the good works of Christians, they end up giving glory to the Father in heaven. It might seem a bit curious that someone sees my good works and ends of glorifying someone else! The problem is that we have tried to construct a Christianity that is composed of our works, and we have failed because we have concentrated on things that give glory to us, not to God. This is a vainglory, a self-referential glory, something that is focussed on building up ourselves. What is really needed are works done with an attitude of trust in the Lord, so that people who observe will realize that only the Lord could sustain such works. This is the character of Christian works, the character of one who behaves as a child of God, pointing not to one’s own ego but to the Father. This text is telling us to exploit the occasions we have for abandoning ourselves to God and then our mission will be accomplished. are light, but what kind of light are we? We irradiate around us that which is in the depths of our hearts. Is the light emanated by Christians a matter of their integrity, their honesty, their moral coherence? Not exactly. Such a light would be of little interest because it would be dependent on our poor human qualities. Jesus says, rather, that when people see the good works of Christians, they end up giving glory to the Father in heaven. It might seem a bit curious that someone sees my good works and ends of glorifying someone else! The problem is that we have tried to construct a Christianity that is composed of our works, and we have failed because we have concentrated on things that give glory to us, not to God. This is a vainglory, a self-referential glory, something that is focussed on building up ourselves. What is really needed are works done with an attitude of trust in the Lord, so that people who observe will realize that only the Lord could sustain such works. This is the character of Christian works, the character of one who behaves as a child of God, pointing not to one’s own ego but to the Father. This text is telling us to exploit the occasions we have for abandoning ourselves to God and then our mission will be accomplished.
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