>>”Blah” would be a word that I would describe how I feel usually after the Christmas season is behind us and now we’ve moved into ordinary time. But there’s one thing that helps to lift that blah feeling, and that’s the observation that the days are becoming longer and the light is growing.

The days are growing longer. And that light lifts my spirits. And that idea of the coming of the light of God and the growing and the spreading of the light. That image will be a common theme in our scripture readings this week and in the weeks ahead.

And today we hear how we are to be light for one another. And so, Paul, in his letter to Corinthians, addresses this for all who claim to live the name of Jesus Christ. And what that will mean for their conduct, especially in how they will treat each other.

In today’s Gospel, we’re reminded that the baptism of Jesus was a big moment, and that’s why John the Baptist is still talking about it in the Gospel today. He’s telling others about how that dove descended on the Lord and spoke. John then testifies that Jesus is the Son of God, and now he encourages and sends forth his followers to bring that light into the world.

And all of this, friends helps us to understand how we are going to walk through ordinary time. We remember and we act. John calls us as disciples of Jesus, to be servant leaders who shine the light of God’s good news – made flesh and Jesus to shine that good news to the ends of the earth and how we behave and how we treat one another.

One of my very favorite saints reminds me how to do so with humility and joy in very simple ways. She is Saint Teresa of Calcutta, and you know that she gave great witness to the poor of Calcutta. And her life reminds us that those little things, those little ways of caring. That’s the work of shining the light of God, the work of Jesus. That’s how it gets done in and through us. She once said, we can do no great things, only small things with great love. The listening ear.

Even when we’ve heard enough the phone call to check in on a relative or neighbor. To share a meal or to give a few cents to that person begging on the street. All of those are ways that we can really show simple, humble acts of love. All these simple and humble acts help us walk these days of ordinary time with extraordinary witness.

Today, we’re encouraged to reflect on: How do my everyday actions give witness to my Christian faith with humility and joy, with great love? That’s how we will continue to shine the good news into the world.