Monday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time, September 22, 2025

Gospel

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."

Reflection

“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”. When I read this, I imagined truth to be the light Jesus is describing. In that context, it made me stop and ask... where do I put truth? Do I conceal it under a bed, or do I place it on a lampstand where others can see? Truth isn’t meant to be hidden away or ignored, like light it is meant to shine through the darkness and guide us closer to God. Jesus says, “For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light". These words remind me that nothing stays in the dark forever, the truth always has a way of coming out. In the end, God’s light reveals everything...our hidden sins, shame, fears. Yet there is beauty in this, because once His light shines on what we try to conceal, we are given the chance to face it, be healed, and grow.

Furthermore, Jesus says, “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.” This is not necessarily about material possessions or worldly wealth, it's meaning goes deeper. Those who live with grateful hearts, who can see the good even in difficulty, will always have more because gratitude multiplies joy. While it may not always look like they “have more” from the outside, their ability to find happiness and peace in every circumstance shows the abundance God gives them. On the other hand, those who live without gratitude, will always be left wanting, never satisfied, only seeing what they do not have. In both truth and gratitude, Jesus calls us to live in the light, letting it shine for others, and allowing it to transform what is hidden.