Gospel Reflection Luke 8:16-18

Vince Stanley B. Inigo                                                                                     September 24, 2012

Luke 8:16-18

Scouting had been part of our curriculum since we were still in Grade 1. One of our songs is sung this way:

Ating itago ang ilaw, ‘wag di mainam iyan.(2x)

Ilaw ba ay hihipan, ‘wag di mainam iyan. (2x)

Itaas, itaas, itaas itong ilaw!

We sang this song during our Scouting Investiture while we were holding candles by our hand and in the hall where they turned the lights off.

In our Gospel today, we talk about The Lamp on a Stand. The light ymbolizes the good deeds.

Being good is not an option, rather, a purpose because that’s what we were created for. We don’t do kindness just for show.

This is where INTEGRITY takes place. We live together in this community-the seminary. We should be obedient whether our priest formatsors are around or not. Obedience should not appear just because people are watching you. It’s very easy to implement rules in our community but it is always up to us if we desire to follow or not. For those who follow, they have disciplined themselves to stick to their vocation. I can say that they should be blessed for God can see their little acts of obedience even if no one in the seminary observes their behavior.

“No one lights a lamp and hides it…” This means that God recognizes us in every action we do. We can do small things together. A very inspiring message from our formator, Rev. Lovell, is this, “Make sure that you put your heart in service, but you should be careful of serVICE.” We should never wait for praise when we do acts of charity. God knows if we are really doing things with our whole heart. He sees everything. Nothing is hidden in His eyes. He knows what we’re doing.

We should keep the fire of faith burning. We might have shown our priestly vocation to everyone, but we don’t know, people around us might be blowing it to put off the flame. We cannot please everyone with our good deeds but God is with us, giving Himself to all of us, appreciating the goodness in us. Our parents, our spiritual Fathers, our brothers are always here for us, to help us keep the flame of our vocation burning. They may not be there whenever you’re doing what is right but God is there to give you recognition.

Just like the Kab Scouts, ‘wag nating itago at hipan itong ilaw ng ating bokasyon, ating ITAAS ITONG ILAW!