God uses people. God uses people to perform His work.

Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth. --John Wesley: (1703 –1791: was an Anglican cleric and theologian)

Gospel Text: (MK 4:21-25)

Jesus said to his disciples,

"Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket

or under a bed,

and not to be placed on a lampstand?

For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible;

nothing is secret except to come to light.

Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear."

He also told them, "Take care what you hear.

The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,

and still more will be given to you.

To the one who has, more will be given;

from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

At our baptism, the priest or deacon handed to our parents and godparents a candle lit from the Easter Candle. He said to them…

Parents and godparents,
this light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly.
This child of yours has been enlightened by Christ.
He/she is to walk always as a child of the light.
May he/she keep the flame of faith alive in his/her heart.
When the Lord comes, may he/she go out to meet him
with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom.

We don’t light a lamp without thinking that it will help guide our way. The light helps us avoid stumbles. It gives us direction. If you have ever been in total darkness, you know a light provides a sense of where we are in relation to other people and objects. We often say, “We’ll leave a light on for you,” as a way to convey our hope that a loved one will safely come home.

The light of Christ burns within each of us. It is the joy we know, the kindness extended, the love shared. Our lamp is placed high on the lampstand when we say “thank you” to the store clerk or waitress, when we call a friend to simply say hello, or when we write a note of condolence. The light of Christ that burns within us can truly light up another’s life. That is why we have been given the light…so that it will be shared.