I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Jesus calls
each of us to cast away all that binds us and blinds us to His love, and to
come forth into the sunlight of His spirit.
Today
in the first reading, we hear how some can be wrongly accused, and how we need
to look at the sin we can cause upon others and ourselves because of accusing
others wrongly. Susanna, in contrast to this woman in the Gospel, was falsely
accused of adultery. Until Daniel appeared on the scene, all the people
believed her guilty and condemned her to death. Wow, sounds a lot like what is
going on today! In her innocence, Susanna trusted in God, and her trust was
rewarded by acquittal. How fast we can judge, and how our world wants to bring
more harm to persons.
Yesterday
in the Gospel, we heard how Jesus called Lazarus forth from the tomb. Jesus
gave Lazarus another chance at life. The burial cloths that bound him were
loosened, and he was free. Surely, he came forth radically changed, filled with
thanksgiving. Each moment of every day, we, too, are called to the same
fullness of life. Jesus said, "I came that you might have life and have it
abundantly" (Jn 10). Are we living
life to the fullest, aware that each moment is a rare gift? Are our hearts
filled with gratitude for all we have received from God? Or are we bound by
cares and concerns, blind to the beauty of this life? Remember what St.
Irenaeus wrote in the early third century, "The glory of God is the human
being fully alive."
Yes!
Jesus gives pardon and a new start in life, and we are the ones as Christians
also to do this. In our responsorial
psalm we pray, "Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for
You are at my side." Only God can take away the darkness and bring us on a
path to light and life; all we need to do is respond to Him.
God's
grace enables us to confront our sin for what it is -- unfaithfulness to God,
and to turn back to God with a repentant heart and a thankful spirit for God's
mercy and forgiveness. Jesus calls each of us to cast away all that binds us
and blinds us to His love, and to come forth into the sunlight of His spirit.
In
the Gospel of John, Jesus spoke to the people, saying, "I am the light of
the world."