Light

All this week, the Octave of Christmas, at Mass, we have been hearing one word over and over again, in the 1st Letter of John (which we have been reading from every day this week), in the Alleluia, and in the Gospel of the day.  Let's recap.

 

Monday 

"God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all."

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another."

Tuesday

"For the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining."

"Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness."

"Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall."

"A light of revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel."

Wednesday

"Today a great light has come upon the Earth."

Thursday

"And this life was the light of the whole human race."

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

"(John) came for testimony, to testify to the light."

"(John) was not the light, but came to testify to the light."

"The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world."

 

"Light" is indeed one of many words used in Scripture and Tradition in reference to Our Lord.  Why is it proper to call Him "light"?

1) Light makes things knowable.   We can know Jesus   He knows us.  In Him, can we find and come to know ourselves. Without Jesus, we have no way to know the fullness of Truth about life in general, or ourselves.

2) Light makes something radiant.  When we see something radiant, we think of it as heavenly. Jesus is heavenly, the Second Person the Blessed Trinity. By uniting to Him, we become sharers in His Divine Life, just as by the Incarnation, He became a sharer in our humanity.

3) Light comes from above.  The sun is in the sky and radiates its rays down on us. The Son of God came down like a ray from the sun, spread the light of His Truth while among us, died and rose for us, ascended into heaven, and now shines on us from His Father's side.

4) Light is not matter; it is more spiritual than physical.  Jesus was all about the spirit, more so than the flesh, and we are called to be the same.

5) Light helps us see.   Jesus helps us see things as God sees them.  Without this light, as the Scripture says, we are in darkness, because we only see things from our limited human perspective, which is wounded by sin.

6) Light illuminates the inside of something.  Without light, we cannot see inside anything. We need a match to go in a cave, a surgeon needs a light to see inside a body.  Jesus illuminates our soul.  He also illuminates the soul of the world, allowing us to assess its true condition.

7) Light is of the day.   In Jesus' coming, a new day has dawned.  This day will have no end, because this light cannot be extinguished.  Death found that out the hard way on Easter Sunday.  If death cannot extinguish it, nothing can.

 

This time of year, when the days are shortest, we depend seemingly more than ever on light, and are grateful perhaps more than we are during other times of the year, for it.  This is the time of year when we treasure lights of all types; Christmas lights, candles, fireworks (especially tonight on New Year's Eve), fireplace fires.  This is a sign of the deeper, ultimate yearning we all have for Christ, the Light of the World.

 

As we ring in the New Year tonight, let us look at the lights all around us wherever we may be, and think of Christ our Light.  May He light our path forward as we begin 2016.  Let us resolve to never allow the light to be extinguished in us.   Let us keep it burning with prayer, sacrifice, and good works.   May Our Lord shine His face upon all of us in 2016.

 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.