I once remarked to a friend how inspirational and faith-filled a person he was. “Does the window pane take credit for the light that it lets in?” he asked. “The source of the light isn’t the glass but the sun that shines through it. And so it is with me, I am just the windowpane of God’s light to the world”. Today’s Gospel reminds us that we “are not the light” but instead are “to testify to the light”.

This year, as you make your New Year’s resolutions, strive to set spiritual resolutions such as spending time each day by reading and reflecting upon the Word of God. St. Jerome famously declared that “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ”. Spending time with the Word will help to facilitate God’s light to shine evermore through you. What other spiritual resolutions can you make this year to “testify to the light”?

—Julianne Stanz is a speaker, writer and mother of three, originally from Ireland, and Director of the New Evangelization for the Diocese of Green Bay.