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b'\\u201cYour light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.\\u201d \\xa0 And how shall \\u201cyour light break forth like the dawn\\u201d except that you \\u201cshare your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own.\\u201d\\xa0 Indeed, you must \\u201cremove from your midst oppression, false accusation, and malicious speech,\\u201d for only \\u201cthe man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice,\\u201d only for him \\u201clight shines through the darkness\\u201d \\u2013 as he is thus light being brought to this world of darkness and sin \\u2013 only \\u201che shall not fear,\\u201d for \\u201chis heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.\\u201d\\xa0 And he shall stand on the last day, when the light comes to its fullness. This emptying oneself of all that is evil and finding oneself in all that is just by \\u201clavishly [giving] to the poor,\\u201d by feeding all those in need, is as Paul comes to the Thessalonians: \\u201cI came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling.\\u201d\\xa0 \\u201cI resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.\\u201d\\xa0 \\u201cNot with persuasive words of wisdom\\u201d does he come \\u201cbut with a demonstration of Spirit and power.\\u201d\\xa0 Embracing the cross he empties himself entirely of all selfishness, of all that is not of God, and thus the light that shines through him is entirely of the Lord, and serves as genuine food to the hungry soul. Brothers and sisters, to whom is the Lord speaking in our gospel but to us?\\xa0 Who is \\u201cthe light of the world,\\u201d what is the \\u201ccity set on a mountain\\u201d but the Church?\\xa0 If we are not \\u201cthe salt of the earth,\\u201d bringing out the flavor of justice and love from the flesh of the Body, who shall be?\\xa0 And what shall become of us and the world, therefore, but \\u201cto be thrown out and trampled underfoot\\u201d?\\xa0 Sometimes we look to others \\u2013 to government, to business, to science \\u2013 to lead the way.\\xa0 But all that need be is that we light the lamp that is in our grasp by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the house shall be illumined; we shall no longer fear or worry for the fate of those in need, for we shall be present to serve them.\\xa0 But if \\u201cunder a bushel basket\\u201d we place the light that is ours, what can the world be but dark; and what can the people do but suffer?\\xa0 Brothers and sisters, we are called to shine the love of God.\\xa0 The time has come to do so. \\xa0 Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. \\xa0 Music: "Removing the Log from My Eye" (2nd part) from Listening to the Lamp, ninth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. \\xa0 ******* O LORD, let us trust firmly in you and so shine your light even as your Son, Jesus.\\xa0 YHWH, help us to be the light you call us to be, the light we must be if the world is to be saved from darkness.\\xa0 Your Son has come as the true light to illumine the hearts of all men, to save them from their sin, and we must now carry that light forth, for who else shall do so? Bless your Church, O LORD. with the sacrificial Spirit of your only Son.\\xa0 Instill in our hearts the love only He knows.\\xa0 Help us to be generous, to lay down our lives for others, that the hungry might be fed and the naked clothed with your glory.\\xa0 O may our light indeed break forth like the dawn in this dark world that all souls might be drawn to your kingdom! No fear have we, dear LORD, but the fear of failing to serve you, failing to reveal the face of Jesus in all we do.\\xa0 Let us not hide His light; let our spirits not be corrupted and we be trampled underfoot for turning from your call.\\xa0 Rather, let us do good, let us do your will, that your glory may be ever with us.'