New Light
It is something I do take for granted. When I walk into a darkened area of my house and flip that switch on the wall, I expect I will have light. I know something is wrong when that does not happen. I become both irritated and worried. Lots of other things will not work if the light switch does not produce light.
Four years ago, today was Easter Sunday 2020. The anniversary entry in My Daily Spiritual Companion on that date reads, “Due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, this is an Easter without Mass celebrated in church or our family gathering. Sheltering in place.” In retrospect, I could not find a noticeable difference between Lent ending and the Easter Season beginning that Covid year. How could we joyfully celebrate without loved ones, both family and parishioners? Spring had arrived on schedule, but the light seemed different, not as energizing as usual. We had a Covid mentality that continued into the Easter Season. The good news about that time in our lives is that many of us learned a whole new way of relying on the Christ light in our hearts, even as we missed the warming light provided by the presence and touch of others.
How wonderful to celebrate Easter 2024 with family, in church, and with a definite break from the 40 days of Lent to the joy and anticipation of the Easter Season’s 50 days. Spring has definitely arrived, and our world is green and growing. We started this second week of Easter with Divine Mercy Sunday, reflecting on the great gift of God’s mercy in our lives and the lives of His disciples in that locked room. Those very dark days for His followers after the Crucifixion turned into hope-filled ones with the light of His merciful presence with them again.
On Monday, we experienced a total solar eclipse. In North America this occurs about every 12 years on average. In our part of Illinois, the change in daylight was not as dramatic as the darkness that occurred further south. But even from within my house that early afternoon there was a noticeable change in the quality of light. How grateful I am for both sunlight and Son Light!
Another “light reflection” (pun intended!) arrived on Tuesday, courtesy of Formed and Tim Gray’s daily reflection. “The Church rereads the Scriptures of Israel in the light of Jesus’ Resurrection. During the Easter Season we must look at the Old Testament readings in a new light. Jesus has fulfilled them!”
From the Blessed Is She reflection for Wednesday, light washed over me again when I read, “We are created to live in Light Himself.”
Finally, so many of the daily readings this week have touched on the theme of light versus darkness. Wednesday’s Gospel from John 3:21: “But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.”
You can find lots of references to light in both the Old and New Testaments. Why not look up and reflect on some of them in the coming weeks? Then make a conscientious decision to turn on your unique Christ light and pray for grace to carry it out into the world.
Thank you for all the ways you both accept and reflect Christ’s light.
Radiate our lives today. Let us reflect this radiance on each other, on the whole world, and on You
(from Living Faith reflections, Oct-Nov-Dec 2020)