Luke 8:16-18

Ezra 1:1-6

Psalm 126:1b-2ab. 2cd-3, 4-5, 6

Luke 8:16-18

Jesus said to the crowd:

“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel

or sets it under a bed;

rather, he places it on a lampstand

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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, give me more! I have received the gift of your grace and have set out to work in your vineyard. I have seen the fruits of my labor. I ask that you accept them as my sacrifice united to that of your Son. Grant me an abundance of your grace so that I may bear even more fruit for your Kingdom.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Word of God and the Light of Salvation: In the Gospel, Jesus has just spoken about the Word of God as a seed sown in human hearts. In today’s passage, he follows this up and uses a lamp as an image for God’s Word. Just as the seed is sown in soil to yield a fruitful harvest and just as the lamp placed on a lampstand to give light to the house, so the Word of God is to be welcomed by the human heart and, in turn, is to be given to others. “Thus, the person who, when hearing God’s word, embraces and understands it (Luke 8:10, 15) is filled with light and becomes a visible lamp so that others may see the light. Those who have been granted knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom must make them known. Hence, this parable complements the previous one: a person receives the word in order to believe and be saved (v. 12), thus becoming a lamp that enlightens others so that they too may be saved” (Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 160). How have I welcomed and shared the light of Christ?

2. The Book of Ezra: During the next three weeks, the First Reading will be taken from the Book of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Book of Baruch, and five of the 12 minor prophets (from Haggai, Zechariah, Jonah, Malachi, and Joel). What Church, through the Liturgy of the Word, principally wants us to consider is the aftermath of the end of the Babylonian Exile (586-538 B.C.). The Book of Ezra narrates the return of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi, who start to rebuild the foundations of Jewish life (Ezra 2). The tribes who returned to Jerusalem initially focused their efforts on restoring the sacrifices and rebuilding the Temple of the Lord, which had lain in ruins since the Babylonian conquest of Judah in 586 B.C. (Ezra 3-6). “Once these tasks are completed despite harassment and delay, the narrative springs forward into the next century, when another wave of Jewish exiles returns to the homeland under the wise leadership of Ezra the priest (Ezra 7-8). This time, the focus of reconstruction is spiritual. Ezra finds a community in Judea that is religiously apathetic and out of alignment with the commandments of God regarding marriage. Immediately he begins a campaign of reform, calling the community to repentance and insisting that interreligious marriages between Jews and Gentiles be dissolved, since unions between Israelites and non-Israelites are forbidden by the Torah (Ezra 9-10)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 676). 

3. Divine Providence in the Book of Ezra: The Book of Ezra emphasizes the hand of God’s providence in shaping the history of the covenant people. “The divine hand is the unseen power ensuring that the Lord’s plan for his people unfolds according to his will. It is no accident that Cyrus of Persia granted the exiles in Babylon their freedom and generously funded the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. It is because ‘the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus’ to fulfill the words of “Jeremiah” and other prophets that this took place (Ezra 1:1). The Lord thus appears as one who inspires even Gentile kings to accomplish what he desires for Israel (6:22; 7:27). Just as God was free to use a wicked king like Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to bring destruction on the Temple and city of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 25:9-10), so he could use a benevolent monarch like Cyrus to rebuild them (Isaiah 44:28). Besides this, the Lord is the one who preserved a remnant of his people in the first place (Ezra 9:8). And he produced in them a desire to rebuild the sanctuary (Ezra 1:5), just as he will later inspire Ezra’s work (Ezra 7:6) and give him favor in the eyes of Persian authorities (Ezra 7:28). Elsewhere in the book we see God shielding the Jewish community from enemy plots (Ezra 5:5; 9:9), sending them prophets with words of encouragement (Ezra 5:1-2; 6:14), and making their hearts joyful in celebrating Israel’s great liturgical feasts (6:22). In these and other ways, the Book of Ezra is as much about God’s activity as about the life and labors of the postexilic community” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 676). 

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are my light and my salvation, of whom should I be afraid? You guide me along right paths and protect me from danger. You lead me to restful waters and good pasture. Guide my steps always so that I may reach the glory of eternal life with you.

Living the Word of God: How is my confidence in God’s providential plan and in God’s grace? Do I get discouraged by news of moral evil and unjust corruption? How do I respond? Do I bring it to prayer and seek the strength to work for the good?