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Don't Hide Your Light
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You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under a bushel basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. ~ Mt 5:14-16When I was named pastor of Mary, Queen of Peace three years ago this month, I took a drive across the lake to visit the staff. I had been to MQP before, but it had been a while. As I drove down West Causeway Approach, I didn’t see the church, so I turned around. Still, no luck! Finally, I saw the entry to the wooded parking lot and there it was, hidden away like a gem.I realize that tucked-away feeling was comforting to some of you here. On the other hand, a church needs to be seen. We are not meant to be closed in on ourselves. If we are to let our light shine before others, to give glory to God, we can’t stay hidden away. The Lord is quite clear about this. So was Pope Francis in The Joy of the Gospel, where he speaks of the parish as a missionary hub: “In all its activities the parish encourages and trains its members to be evangelizers. It is a community of communities, a sanctuary where the thirsty come to drink in the midst of their journey, and a center of constant missionary outreach.”Recently, someone called to make an appointment to come and see me. He said he was struck that he could now see the church when he drove down West Causeway Approach. He took that as a sign that he needed to return to Mass, to start the journey of realigning his life to the Lord. Our parish is a “sanctuary where the thirsty come to drink.” They need to see Mary, Queen of Peace to drink of this life-giving water. That is why we cleared the underbrush at the front of our property. I am grateful for those who assisted with this years-long effort to allow our light to shine before others.Eventually, the area will also be cleared of dead trees and landscaped so that Mary, Queen of Peace will be a sign of life and welcome to all those who seek the Lord in the midst of their journey, so that our parish community can be an open door with open hearts. As Pope Francis said, individual Christians and the whole church around the world must be seen as “the hospitality of a God who never shuts the door in your face with the excuse that you’re not part of the family.”We are the family of God, with open hearts, open arms, and an open space where our light can shine more brightly as a beacon of hope and hospitality.