Thought for the Week by Mgr Kieran Heskin, Sacred Heart Church, Ilkley

IN the world in which Jesus grew up moonless, starless nights were dark indeed. The little houses, consisting of one room and with one small window, were dark even during the day. At night a little oil lamp, raised up, gave a faint light around the little dwellings.

When Jesus asked his followers to be the light of the world, he asked them to resemble the night light in the homes in which they grew up, to be the bearers of the flickering light of the Gospel into a world of dense darkness.

It was a tall order to be the light of the world. At first they failed but after Pentecost they spread the light of the Gospel throughout Palestine, into Asia Minor and up the Apian Way into Rome. It’s amazing to see what has been achieved from such humble beginnings but then God was behind the growth.

Today, it is our turn now to be bearers of light, to be visible, card-carrying and confident people of faith. In this regard, perhaps we could learn something from the three tailors who competed with each other on the same street. The first claimed to be the best in the county. The second claimed to be the best in the country. The third simply claimed to be the best on the street!

God does not ask us to spread the light of the Gospel nationwide to the entire country or even countywide to the entire county. Most of us would not have the means to do that. He simply asks us to bring it to the home in which we live, to the place in which we work and to those with whom we come into contact.

Let’s not forget that a day will come when the lights will go out for you and for me: the bright light of the sun, the soft light of the moon, the atmospheric lights of home and into the darkness we will only take one light to guide us – the light of faith. Like travellers in the olden days who had come to the end of their journeys and at the inn took their candles and went upstairs to their well deserved rest, we will on that day be pleased to take the light of faith to guide us to our eternal rest.