In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
— Genesis 1:1–5
The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Then God said, ‘Let there be Light;’ and there was Light.
And God saw the Light, that it was good; and God divided the Light from the darkness.
God called the Light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.
And the light of the sun, the light of a candle or of a bulb, are images, types, of this Light. For the True Light of the World is Christ, “I am the Light of the World,” says He, “he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the Light of Life.” (John 8:12) “In Him was Life,” we are told by the beloved disciple,
and the Life was the Light of men.
— John 1:4–5, 14
And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. …
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Indeed, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the Light has been revealed to us.
The people who sat in darkness have seen a great Light,
— Matthew 4:16, Isaiah 9:2
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.
Yet this is not something which is of Christ alone: if we are Christians, which is to say if we are ‘little christs,’ we too are called to be Light by grace, “You,” the Lord is addressing you and He is addressing me, “are the Light of the World.”
How then are we to do this? We are to bring Light, in all its meanings, into our everyday—where there is confusion we are to bring clarity, where there is evil we are to chase it away through illumination, where there is hatred we are to destroy its power through the radiance of love, where there is the darkness of fear we are to shine with the Light of God, where there is division we are to draw to unity with the lustre of holiness, where there are demons we are to cast them out with the brilliance of Truth.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, there are people in this world, in our society, who are suffering, who are in need, who are in want, those who are today walking through the valley of the shadow of death and fearing evil for they are without God (cf. Psalm 22:4 ʟxx) and they need Light in their lives. They do not need someone to preach to them, to upbraid them, to scold them, but someone to visit them in their low estate (cf. Luke 1:48) and show them the brightness of the love of God through their kindness, love and service towards them. And the ones God has set aside for this great task, for bringing this Light into the world, are you and me.
A city set on a hill cannot be hid.
Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
Let your Light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Let us then, dear brothers and sisters, shine with the Light of God through our good works towards our neighbours, families and friends—indeed, towards our whole society—that those who are without God can learn of His love towards them, that He has defeated death so they may have Life, and that they too may come to knowledge of the Father through His beloved Son by the power of the Holy Spirit and become heirs of the Kingdom and of eternal Life; let us follow, therefore, the commandments of the Lord that we too “shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” Let us bring compassion in the face of suffering, service in the face of need, Life in the face of death, that God be glorified in us, in our actions and in our world and our common sacrifice bring to us eternal Life.
That we may offer true glory, honour and worship to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, together with His unoriginate Father and the All-holy, Good and Life-creating Spirit. Amen.
Titus, my son, the saying is sure. I desire you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to apply themselves to good deeds; these are excellent and profitable to men. But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels over the law, for they are unprofitable and futile. As for a man who is factious, after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is perverted and sinful; he is self-condemned. When I send Artemas or Tychicos to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. And let our people learn to apply themselves to good deeds, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not to be unfruitful. All who are with me send greeting to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.
— Titus 3:8–15
The Lord said to his disciples, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
— Matthew 5:14–19