Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter
Today’s Gospel paints an interesting picture between the light and darkness. “The light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God” (John 3:19 – 21) The light is what brings clarity and truth. Christ gives us clarity and truth.
As I read through today’s Gospel, I found myself reflecting on my recent experience watching the solar eclipse on Monday. I was fortunate enough to see totality at my home. As the moon eclipsed the sun and the light faded away, the colors in my backyard become muted and dull. Everything took on a sort of distorted, hazy reality. The light was slowly being removed. Darkness was taking over.
It seems to me that something similar happens to us when we allow sin to eclipse our light – Christ. This eclipse took place because the moon was at just the right angle in its orbit to block out the light of the sun. The sun did not disappear. It was not gone. It was simply overshadowed by this other celestial body. Now think about your own life. Christ is the light. Think of Him as the sun. Take a moment to reflect on what it is that you allow to get in between Christ’s light and your life. What are those things – pride, anxiety, power, vengeance, laziness, jealousy – that eclipse the Son in your life? When this happens, Christ, the light, is not gone, but He and His goodness become hard to see. When our life is immersed in darkness we do not see with clarity. We do not see the truth. Our life is a muted, dull, distorted version of the crisp, clear, beautiful version it is meant to be.
But this is not the end of the story. Just as the darkness did not last on Monday and the moon slowly moved away from the sun, so it is in our lives. We can readjust. We can regain our focus. The light can and will return to our lives. As I end this reflection, I find myself thinking of the lyrics to a song we sang this past Sunday at the Liturgy of the Light. “I want to walk as a child of the light. I want to follow Jesus. God sent the stars to give light to the world. The star of my life is Jesus. In Him, there is no darkness at all. The night and the day are both alike. The Lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.” May Jesus shine in your heart and in your life this week. Amen.
—AJ Grimm