During this time of Christmas, a recurring theme has been the theme of Christ as the one who came to bring light to dispel the darkness of the world. I do not think I ever valued more the beauty of light then when I experienced blackouts in my country. I am from Panama, and when I was young, there was a time in which there were frequent blackouts.
Suddenly, the power went out, and everything was pitch dark. We would light some candles and try to function that way, but it really made me wish for the light to come back. This situation was considerably worse when, gathered with my friends, we started to tell ghost stories and to recount paranormal experiences. I was always a scaredy cat, and it took very little for me to be very, very scared.
Very Real
While we were in darkness and had only a little bit of light from a worn-out candle, those stories became very real in my mind. I experienced an overwhelming sense of fear, and I felt that all that was said in those stories was going to happen to me. I remember that my heart was beating very fast and I had chills all over my body. Clearly, darkness did not help. I would look around as the stories went on, and I could picture all the scary images and dreadful accounts very, very vividly.
However, when the power came back and light appeared again, I immediately felt a sense of relief and the sense of fear diminished considerably, I was still affected by fear, but, somehow, the power of light helped me to come back to my senses and realize that these were just stories. Light dispelled the darkness of my fear and anguish in a very clear way. Today’s readings, especially the gospel, speak precisely about that: the power of a great light that has come to dispel the darkness of fear, anguish and sorrow.
Prophecy
The beginning of the gospel refers to a prophecy from Isaiah, which Christ came to fulfill fully. It reads: “the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.” Immediately after we read that Christ begins his ministry to bring salvation to the world through his words and actions announcing: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
Indeed, the announcement of the Kingdom of Heaven is the announcement of the coming of the light of a new life, which does not exist in this world. If Christ had not come to establish the Kingdom of Heaven, we would have all been condemned to live in the kingdom of this world, which is the kingdom of darkness and death. When Isaiah speaks of a “people who walked in darkness,” he is referring to the people who live in a world without the Messiah, without Christ. What hope is there in this “kingdom” to experience real life and peace?
Trap
We constantly fall into the trap of thinking that the principles of life and happiness that belong to this kingdom can make us happy. Money, pleasure, prestige, material goods, health, good fortune. They are all principles that, if we make them the absolute goal of our life, will not give us the result we expect, which is happiness, bliss, and tranquility. The principles of life of this world, taken as absolutes, will lead to darkness because they are limited and they cannot help us project our lives into eternity.
Invitation
Instead, the life that Christ offers, which is the life of those who accept the invitation to the Kingdom of Heaven, is a life totally projected to eternity. It is a life that makes present heaven here on earth, eternal life amid the projects and plans of our limited and finite lives. This is why this announcement brings with it an immense light! Christ has come to dispel the darkness of a meaningless and empty life and has come to offer us the possibility to see that it is possible to live eternal life here and now. Without Christ, this would not be possible!!
I invite all of us to open ourselves to the Lord’s call to repent and to receive His Kingdom. May the Spirit of the Lord, which He generously offers us this time of Christmas may help us to accept the light of His life and to reject the Kingdom of darkness! I am sure that the Lord, in His goodness would help us with this intention! God bless you all!!
Very nice reflection. Thank you. The goods of the world can offer a certain happiness, but as you well said cannot become our absolute desire for they can not ultimately satisfy us -and like a drug makes us desperately seek what they can’t fulfill. St Augustine had it right, only resting in God can we have peace and satisfaction.