No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel

24 SEPTEMBER (Lk 8,16-18)

The decision to be disciples of Jesus cannot be lived in seclusion, in the desert, far from men, in the darkness of a conscience without any relation with history. This is what people wished today: a Christian with no history, no relations, no decisions, without discernment, and deprived of all intelligence and wisdom. They wished a deaf, dumb, blind, and paralyzed Christian. The Ancient Scripture proclaims us instead that never might good and evil remain hidden, secret, sealed in a person’s heart.

Among wisdom’s treasures is the paragon of prudence; but fear of the Lord is an abomination to the sinner. If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord will bestow her upon you; For fear of the Lord is wisdom and culture; loyal humility is his delight. Be not faithless to the fear of the Lord, nor approach it with duplicity of heart. Play not the hypocrite before men; over your lips keep watch. Exalt not yourself lest you fall and bring upon you dishonor; For then the Lord will reveal your secrets and publicly cast you down, Because you approached the fear of the Lord with your heart full of guile. (Sir 1,25-30).

Now will I recall God’s works; what I have seen, I will describe. At God’s word were his works brought into being; they do his will as he has ordained for them. As the rising sun is clear to all, so the glory of the Lord fills all his works; Yet even God’s holy ones must fail in recounting the wonders of the Lord, Though God has given these, his hosts, the strength to stand firm before his glory. He plumbs the depths and penetrates the heart; their innermost being he understands. The Most High possesses all knowledge, and sees from of old the things that are to come: He makes known the past and the future, and reveals the deepest secrets. No understanding does he lack; no single thing escapes him. Perennial is his almighty wisdom; he is from all eternity one and the same, With nothing added, nothing taken away; no need of a counselor for him! How beautiful are all his works! even to the spark and the fleeting vision! The universe lives and abides forever; to meet each need, each creature is preserved. All of them differ, one from another, yet none of them has he made in vain, For each in turn, as it comes, is good; can one ever see enough of their splendor? (Sir 42,15-25).

All that man is, for good and evil, light and darkness, in truth or falsehood, all will be revealed, all disclosed, all will appear in full light. On the other hand it cannot be otherwise, since man is not only spirit but also body and the body is always visible. You might hide it for some time, never might its visibility be erased. If one does not want his being of Christ to appear, his choice to be his disciple not to be, not to become. If he is, if he becomes it, this new essence will be seen by everyone; if not today, it will be tomorrow. Never might we hide our essence, since it is necessarily bodily and never only spiritual, never only of the soul, and never of the inner self.

“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lamp stand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.”

It is utmost folly to think of a Christianity that has no effect in history. As you cannot build a Christian made only of spirit, only of soul, so one might never think of a Christianity without history. Corporeity is all for a man and it is also for the disciple of Jesus. Corporeity means choice, decision, siding, option, direction, and way to run through. You cannot be Christian with the spirit of and pagan with the body. You cannot think of having a Christian soul and a wicked history, made of idolatry, wickedness, evil, or total abstention in the exercise of the personal responsibilities before God and men. A man is what his body is. If his body is visibly holy, his soul is holy. If his body is without gospel truth, even his soul is without gospel truth. History is the essence of the Christian, because it is his body: essence of his being and his acting.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels, and Saints teach us this truth.