In today’s Gospel Our Lord teaches us that, “Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” He reminds us that it’s not enough to have this light, or to use it for ourselves. We have to make that light shine and illuminate others as well. Christians are not just meant to glow; they’re meant to shine, to provide so much illumination that they light up the world.

Yet, just as not every lighting is the same, the light of Christians lights the way back to that source of light: to Christ. When a Christian shines, people don’t just praise them; they praise God who made them shine. Being a light in the world is not just satisfying material needs, but something deeper.

Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, “There is more hunger in the world for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.” The true poverty against which we must struggle is a poverty of love. As she put it, “It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters.”

If you love, your actions will start to reflect it. This kind of “hunger” is everywhere, rich and poor. Seek to satisfy not only in what you do, but in how you do it. A Christian's mission in the world, just like Christ's mission, is to make a positive difference for others, by bringing them the power and illumination of the Gospel.