Tag Archives: darkness

LIVING IN THE LIGHT

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Sunday 26th March – 4th Sunday of Lent

Reflection: Ephesians 5: 8-14

LIVING IN THE LIGHT

The discovery of the filament light bulb is one that has transformed our human experience in a tremendous way. People who hitherto depended solely on the light of the sun to get all their activities done now had the opportunity to get more things done through the aid of artificial light hence, prolonging productive hours of the day. The most beautiful thing attribute about light is its ability to make things clear. Little wonder Christ calls his disciples the “light of the world.”

St Paul admonishes us today to be children of light, following in the footsteps of Christ and dispelling the darkness of sin and evil in our world through the lives we live. Beloved, you can look around you and wonder if anything you can ever do will make a difference. You may think of acts of love and kindness are insignificant, considering the depth of decay. The good news is that the tiniest speck of light stands out amid darkness. The little you do counts a great deal.

Let us begin this week with a renewed commitment to shine Christ’s light by refusing to gossip, saving a school mate from bullies, breaking the chain of a rumour against someone, helping someone in dire need. Let us try to discover what the Lord wants of us (cf Eph 5:10) with regards to the situations around us and let us trust in the good shepherd to guide us as we follow Him.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the privilege of belonging to you. Please help me to bring your light and love to an aching world. Amen.

Faith Pearls: YOUCAT 219 – How often must a Catholic Christian participate in the celebration of the Eucharist?

A Catholic Christian is obliged to attend Holy Mass on all Sundays and holy days of obligation. Anyone who is really seeking Jesus’ friendship responds as often as possible to Jesus’ personal invitation to the feast

Hide a treasure: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” Matthew 5:16 RSV-CE

Today’s Readings: 1 Sam 16: 1, 6-7, 10-13; Ps 23:1-6; Eph 5:8-14; Jn 9: 1-41

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LIGHT AND DARKNESS

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Monday, 27th January – Monday of week 3 of the year

Reflection: Mark 3:22-30

LIGHT AND DARKNESS

The Kingdom of God is an everlasting one. Everything that happens and would happen is known to God and is revealed in the living word of God. God confirmed the unity of his kingdom when satan was cast down from heaven because he rebelled against God. (Rev12:7-9). This episode was further made known by Apostle John in his (1John 1:5); when he declared God as light which is devoid of darkness.

Dear friends, there are no two ways to our eternal home. The only way is Jesus Christ who is the light of the world. You cannot have two masters (Matthew 6:24), you either serve God or serve the devil. You can either shine for Christ or shine for the devil. Therefore, it is important for us to have a clear-cut understanding of the fruits of our actions. Does my life constantly open others to temptation and sin? Do I still harbor malice, hatred, lust, jealousy and other fruits of human nature (Gal 5:19-21) and still live as if nothing is wrong? These are manifestations of darkness with which the light cannot live.

In our reading today, Jesus was wrongly acclaimed to possess the evil nature; casting out demons with the power of Beelzebul. What an evil contention by the scribes! Dear friends, bearing good fruits for Christ will raise oppositions and all manner of slander. The world will testify against us and plant weeds amongst our plants. There would be times of suffering and division from even our own friends because we want to live for Christ. Let us be courageous and never give in to our human nature. Let us live by the Spirit who will help to sustain our light to our perfect end.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, sustain the light of the Gospel in your body, the Church. Help me to look forward always to a new horizon of your light in my life. Amen.

KNOW YOUR FAITH: YOUCAT 347 – Why is “not practicing what you preach” such a serious deficiency in a Christian?

Agreement between one’s life and one’s witness is the first requirement for proclaiming the Gospel. Not practicing what you profess is therefore HYPOCRISY, a betrayal of the Christian duty to be “salt of the earth” and “light of the world”

HIDE A TREASURE

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden”. Matthew 5:14 GNB

Readings for Today: 2 Samuel 5:1-7,10; Ps 89; Mark 3:22-30

LIGHT OF THE NATIONS

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Sunday, 19th January – Second Sunday of the year

 

Reflection: Isaiah 49: 3, 5-6

LIGHT OF THE NATIONS

Can you imagine what our world would look like if the sun fails to rise? It It would mean a sustained global darkness. This cannot but unsettle mankind! Little wonder in the order of creation, God in His infinite wisdom created light before man (Genesis 1: 1-4, 26-27). The light of creation is itself a reflection of the True light, the Eternal Light in whose image man was created (Psalm 36:9). It is only God, the Eternal Light that truly illuminates; for this brightness penetrates beyond the eye it reaches deeper into the spirit and soul of man.

We must have light in order to reflect light. For us to be godly, God must be enthroned in our hearts. By His enthronement, He frees us from the inordinate love of self and other entrapment of sin. He ushers us into genuine freedom; the kind that makes our hearts resonate with the psalmist: “Here I am Lord! I come to do your will.” When we make a choice of God’s will and commit ourselves to doing it we become light in this fallen world. This light must necessarily challenge our human complacency (Matthew 5:14-16) for it is the kind that glorifies God. It reflects godliness in action and inaction. It fine tunes all aspects of our human life, ranging from spirituality to interpersonal relationships and our dedication to duty. It sometimes attracts opposition because it mystifies the fallen world (2Timothy 3:8, John 1:5). However, it is a pathway to assured victory. It is a dynamic way of evangelization.

Dear friends, if today there is still much darkness in the world, it calls you and I who answer the name “Christian” to reexamine our individual and cooperate ways of life. How bright is the light of Christ shining through me? Does my Christian identity promote or defame the name of Christ? We must be unsettled by the prevailing darkness in our world. To whom much is given, much is expected (Luke 12: 47-48; Revelation 22:12)

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, Light of glory, please brighten me up that my life may better honour and glorify you. Amen.

KNOW YOUR FAITH: YOUCAT 331 – Why is there nevertheless injustice among men?

All men have the same dignity, but not all of them meet with the same living conditions. In cases where injustice is man-made, it contradicts the Gospel. In cases where men have been endowed by God with different gifts and talents, God is asking us to rely on one another: in charity one should make up for what the other lacks.

HIDE A TREASURE: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” Matthew 5:16

Readings for today: Isaiah 49: 3, 5-6; Psalm 40: 1-10; 1Corinthians 1: 1-3; John 1:29-34