LIGHT OR DARKNESS

LIGHT OR DARKNESS – 4^th Sunday of Lent, Year A

            Sooner or later we have to make a choice in our life, which has to be backed up with a whole series of other choices and decisions. The basic choice we have to make is living a life of faith and illumination or a life of spiritual blindness and darkness.

            The decision for a life of illumination and faith is reflected in living by the gospel vision and teachings which become reflected in one’s moral, spiritual and social life. Faith provides an illumination or lighting up of the mind to the mysteries of God which are not available to the mind unaided by God’s grace and the gift of faith given by the Holy Spirit.

            Paul reminded the Ephesians and us of the spiritual gift of spiritual light which removes spiritual darkness and blindness. “There was a time when you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” Being in God’s light clearly has consequences for the way we see and live our lives. We cannot take part in the works of darkness. “Well, then, live as children of light. Light produces every kind of goodness and justice and truth.” If we are living as children of the light it is a contradiction to consider the moral and spiritual works of darkness. “Be correct in your judgment of what pleases the Lord. Take no part in vain deeds done in darkness; rather condemn them.”

            Our world is filled with “vain deeds”. Many of them are projected into millions and millions of homes through the media. Judgments based on the teachings of the Scriptures can help people see them in the spiritual light of day for what they are, calls and temptations for people to go into spiritual darkness. Physically we can’t tell whether someone has the gift of faith and light. We go by the signs of faith in their life. If we see the works of light, justice, truth, charity, goodness, we conclude they have faith. If we see the works of darkness, we conclude they are choosing and following the way of darkness and sin.

            One walking in the spiritual light condemns the works of darkness. Notice the works of darkness are condemned. Persons are not to be condemned by humans. Judgment belongs to God. We may condemn the works of darkness, but not persons. The signs of John’s gospel reveal something in the person of Jesus. The sign or healing of the blind man revealed Jesus to be the light of the world. The account of his healing also shows his progression through the stages of faith to a deeper faith in Jesus. He was healed of his spiritual blindness as well as his physical blindness. Brought out of spiritual darkness, he was able to see Jesus progressively as a healer, a prophet, as Master, from God as Son of Man and Lord.

            With the life of baptism, we receive the gift of faith. Faith is a gift of illumination. The power to see, like the physical power to see, has to be directed and developed. The spiritual power to see is to be used to look into the mystery of Christ’s life and Word. For one whose faith is alive, conscious and active, the world of spiritual darkness and blindness is seen as a great tragedy, and the works of darkness seen clearly as evil and not for one who accepts the life of Christ into their life.

            The one who chooses the life of illuminating faith has an urgency to do the works of light as Jesus had. “We must do the deeds of Him who sent me while it is day. The night comes on when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Jesus was speaking spiritually. The night was His death, and the power of Satan and sin. Each of us is called to do the works of light while we can, and to overcome the spiritual darkness we see in the world through the works of light. The busier we are living in the light of Christ and doing the works of light, the less we are going to be drawn into the world of spiritual darkness and the works of sin.

            We are either moving more into the light of Christ and the works of light, or we are moving more into the darkness of sin, and the works of darkness. Clearly the world needs the light of Christ, and clearly the world needs the followers of Jesus to be what the Lord calls us to be, His light in the world. It’s the difference between blindness and sight.  Follow the way of faith!

Reflection from Divine Mercy #1030

“O my Jesus, give me wisdom, give me a mind great and enlightened by Your light, and this only, that I may know You better, O Lord. For the better I get to know You, the more ardently will I love You.”