“Allowing the Lord to reveal ‘the light of His love and grace’ in our hearts!”

(Based on Dan 13:41-62 and Jn 8:12-20 – Monday of the 5th Week in Lent)

St. Augustine speaks of a conversation, he had, with an unbeliever. The other man showed him his idol gods and said, “Here is my god; Where is thine?”

He again pointed to the skies and said, “Lo, Here is my god; Where is thine?”
He further showed some of the land creatures, “Behold, here is my god; Where is thine?”

“But” St Augustine says, “I showed him not my God; not because I had not one to show him, but because he had no eyes to see Him”

Unless one opens one’s eyes… to the Divine realities…
… one cannot see the Divine!

If one chooses to remain closed to the light of Divinity…
… then one continues to remain in the darkness of life!

The Gospel of the Day is the account of Jesus presenting Himself as the Light of the World and his debate with the Pharisees, who chose to remain in the darkness of error and ignorance.

Jesus is at the Feast of the Tabernacles (Jn 7: 10)

It’s a festival of going up to Jerusalem and join in the festivities with many of the other farmers and vineyard-keepers…
… being grateful and expressing one’s thankfulness to God Yahweh, Who has blessed with a good harvest.

In the evening of the Feast day, everyone gets together in the Court of the Women at the Temple to dance and praise God for His goodness.

There is an elaborate ceremony involving the pouring out of the water from great pitchers, and then the lamps are lit.

Four huge oil lamps are positioned around the courtyard, and the priests’ assistants pour enormous quantities of oil into the bases of them.
Massive wicks are created from the worn-out clothing of the priests and stuffed into the necks.
Darkness falls quickly with very little twilight between the intense sunlight and the rising of the moon, which follows very rapidly at this time of year.

Suddenly the lamps are lit, and the whole courtyard is bathed in their light.

A cheer goes up from the revellers and from around the city, as the light can be seen from every part of Jerusalem.

Using the contrast between…
… the glowing exuberance of the brightly lit courtyard
… and the growing darkness in the atmosphere

Jesus makes a loud and bold proclamation: “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (Jn 8: 12)

But the Pharisees objected and spoke in retort: “You are bearing witness to yourself; your testimony is not true.” (Jn 8: 13)

There was a contrast-play, on here

The Temple was lit brightly… Jesus declared Himself as the Light of the World
The evening had set, and the surroundings were growing darker
… The Pharisees, by rejecting the person of Jesus, chose to remain in darkness!

Jesus was continually giving witness to the fact that He was the “light of the world.”

He brought the light…
… of healing – to those sick and in distress
… of salvation – to those in sin and guilt
… of power and grace – by His words and teachings

But the Pharisees and many of the “creamy class” of the Jewish society, chose to dwell in “darkness.”

They remained in the darkness…
… of ignorance – by not being open to the teachings and works of Jesus
… of death – by continuing a life of sin and error and refusing the offer of grace from Jesus.

Susanna in the Old Testament allowed the “light of God’s Grace and Mercy” to shine forth in her life, through Daniel. (Dan 13:41-62)

When we remain open, truthful and faithful, God shines in our life!

Jesus wishes to be the “light of our life!”

Do we open our hearts to allow His light to shine through us?

Or do we get stagnant in darkness, and choose to reject His teaching in our life…?

Do we seek the Lord in honesty, to cause His light to shine in our minds?

Or do we remain indifferent in darkness and get stuck to our proud mentality and
lifestyle…?

One of the most tragic statements in the Bible reads thus:
“He came to His own, and His own people received Him not” (Jn 1: 11)

The Lord comes to us today…
… proclaiming Himself as the “light of the world.”

Let us open our hearts, in repentance and contrition…
… and allow Him to reveal “the light” of His love and grace in our hearts!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
CHRIST’S WORK IN THE LITURGY

In the liturgy of the Church, it is principally His own Paschal mystery that Christ signifies and makes present.
During His earthly life, Jesus announced His Paschal mystery by His teaching and anticipated it by His actions.
When his Hour comes, He lives out the unique event of history which does not pass away: Jesus dies, is buried, rises from the dead, and is seated at the right hand of the Father “once for all.”
His Paschal mystery is a real event that occurred in our history, but it is unique: all other historical events happen once, and then they pass away, swallowed up in the past.
The Paschal mystery of Christ, by contrast, cannot remain only in the past, because by his death he destroyed death, and all that Christ is – all that he did and suffered for all men – participates in the divine eternity…
… and so transcends all times while being made present in them all.

The event of the Cross and Resurrection abides and draws everything toward life. (CCC # 1085)