FIRST READING
The beginning of the Book of Ezra (Ezra1:1-6)
“Whoever is among you of all his people, let him go up to Jerusalem and rebuild the house of the Lord.”
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel — he is the God who is in Jerusalem; and let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides free will offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.” Then rose up the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, every one whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem; and all who were about them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm126:1-2ab.2cd-3.4-5.6 (R.3a)
R/. What great deeds the Lord has worked for us!
When the Lord brought back the exiles of Sion,
we thought we were dreaming.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter;
on our tongues, songs of joy. R/.
Then the nations themselves said,
“What great deeds
The Lord worked for them!”
What great deeds the Lord worked for us!
Indeed, we were glad. R/.
R/. What great deeds the Lord has worked for us!
Bring back our exiles, O Lord,
As streams in the south.
Those who are sowing in tears
will sing when they reap. R/.
They go out, they go out, full of tears,
bearing seed for the sowing;
they come back, they come back with a song,
bearing their sheaves. R/.
ALLELUIA Matthew 5:16
Alleluia. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 8:16-18)
Place your light on a stand that those who enter may see the light.
At that time: Jesus said to the crowds, “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light. Take heed then how you hear; for to him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Today’s Reflection
The purpose of lighting a lamp is to dispel darkness and brighten up the area. This is possible if the lighted lamp is kept on a lamp stand. Light exposes everything around it. Jesus tells us: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but have the light of life” (John 8:12). Jesus is the light that brightens up our lives and leads us to the light of life, that is, eternal life. St Padre Pio experienced the light of Christ profoundly in his life and radiated that light to others through his life of holiness. Each of us is called to be a bearer of the light of Christ so that “those who enter may see the light”.