"THE PEOPLE... HAVE SEEN A GREAT LIGHT"
All the deep questions of life are brought into the light
by Jesus. What is true; what is false? What is good, what is bad? How can I be
truly happy, especially during dark times in our world?
I want to begin with a verse from a song that
Randy Travis sung: "All it takes is a point of light, a ray of hope in the
darkest night. If you see what's wrong and you try to make it right, you can be
a point of light." In today's scriptures, darkness and light are powerful
symbols for us, just as they were for those for whom Isaiah wrote. We can
certainly describe our national tragedies and our personal ones as well, as
"dark days." When we are probing and searching for direction in our
lives we say we are "in the dark," and hoping to "see the light
at the end of the tunnel."
I can say, after reflecting on our first and
second readings, that I am not completely happy with the "results" of
my struggles with these passages and the harsh realities around us these days.
It doesn't feel as though things have balanced out; there are still many
questions. But I do feel that, while I do not have all the answers, we are
walking on a God-directed path that takes us through the darkness and points us
to the light at the end of the tunnel!
Looking right at our own time, some people I
know are struggling with serious illnesses, tragedies and addictions. When
darkness surrounds us it seems to me that God brings His light to help and that
light often comes from the help of those around us. In today's Gospel, we read:
"The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling
in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen" (Mt 4:16). Jesus came as
a great light piercing the darkness in order to shine in the hearts of all
God's people. He is the Light!
We pray, in today's Responsorial Psalm,
"The Lord is my light and my salvation" (Ps 27:1a). In the Bible,
"light" is another word for "God." We confess this in the
Creed: "I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God
from true God." In John's Gospel, after the scribes and Pharisees brought
Mary Magdalene to Jesus, we hear Him declare, "I am the light of the
world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of
life" (Jn 8:12). We have an absolute need for light, both physical and
spiritual.
On February 2, we will celebrate the Feast of
the Presentation of the Lord! Jesus, the King of Glory, comes into His temple
to be a light for all the nations. We will sing the Canticle of Simeon and hear
Simeon praising God: "...for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You
prepared in the sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the
Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel" (Lk 2:32). How is Christ a
light to you and me? All the deep questions of life are brought into the light
by Jesus. What is true; what is false? What is good, what is bad? How can I be
truly happy, especially during dark times in our world? In all of history, the
best answers, in fact, the only answer, has been given by the Light of the
World - Jesus Christ.
What is this world all about? Who am I? Why am
I here? Jesus throws a searching and revealing light on all these uncertainties.
Is death the end of everything? The whole world, non-Christians as well as
Christians, wants to know. With the piercing light of His Resurrection, Jesus
gives the only satisfying answer!
Who of us does not have problems in health,
finance, personality, injustice, loneliness, ingratitude, and love UN-returned?
In the bright light of what Jesus says and does we see our way through these
perplexing problems. Truly, we who follow Him do not walk in darkness, but in
the light. This light is renewed in us and rekindled on every altar in our
churches! May we renew our love for the Light of the World - Jesus Christ - and
be a source of light to those around us!