Homily for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus gives us a way to see if we live according to our Christian identity. It's not about having deep theological knowledge, charm, or great professional success. It's not about having intense prayer experiences or performing extreme acts of penance. The true sign of being a Christian is how we treat everyone, following the way God treats us.

God is kind and merciful, even to those who do not appreciate it and those who are sinful. We should also be kind and merciful if we are His children and followers. We should forgive quickly and avoid judging or condemning people. We should think well of others, speak positively about them, and treat them as the children of God that they indeed are.

Jesus tells us what we should do in life and why we should do it: We are made in God's image, and God is love; His nature focuses on giving to others. The more we grow our ability to love—true, selfless love—the closer we become to what God wants us to be.

Mother Teresa exemplified the importance of treating others as God treats us. While she was in Australia with her community of sisters, who were working with the Aborigines, she encountered an elderly man living in complete isolation, neglected by everyone around him. His home was disordered and dirty.

She approached him and said, "Please let me clean your house, wash your clothes, and make your bed." He replied, "I'm okay like this. Let it be." She insisted, "You will feel even better if you allow me to help." Eventually, he agreed, and she was able to tidy his home and wash his clothes.

While cleaning, she discovered a beautiful lamp covered in dust, which clearly hadn't been used in years. She asked him, "Don't you light that lamp? Don't you ever use it?" He replied, "No, there's no need. No one comes to see me. Who would I light it for?" 

Mother Teresa then inquired, "Would you light it every night if the sisters came to visit?" He responded eagerly, "Of course!" 

From that day on, the sisters committed themselves to visiting him every evening. After Mother Teresa left Australia, two years went by, and she completely forgot about the man. Then, she received a message from him: "Tell my friend that the light she lit in my life continues to shine."

This story illustrates what it means to be a true Christian: to give, to forgive, to bless, to stop judging, condemning, and complaining, and to start lighting lamps. In other words, it means to be like Christ, who is the Light of the World. It is this spirit of giving that brings happiness not only to our lives but also to the world.