Are you afraid of the dark? How do you react to a sudden cut in power and all the lights go out?
Just last week it happened to me, I was happily sitting watching the news when ping, the lights went out, the tv went off…and I sat wondering did I have a torch, if I did where would I find it…I was very unprepared for a power cut. Luckily I had my phone in front of me on the coffee table and so by the light of the mobile phone I made my way to the front door hoping it was not just my house that was without power – it wasn’t – so that was good news. I could see the glimmer of candles in some of the surrounding houses – they were prepared! Then I decided the only option was to go to bed, and hope power returned by morning…
I went to bed reflecting on darkness and then the image of the sun beginning to come up, the clouds parting as the light begins to break through to herald the dawn of a new day. This is the rhythm of every day of every year. Slowly the darkness is cast aside and the sun sheds its light across the land. This is what happened to the people who lived in Jesus’ time – they saw the light of Christ coming among them, reflecting something new into the world.
Our Gospel for the third Sunday in Ordinary time comes in two parts – the coming of Christ the Light of the World and the beginning of his ministry alongside Jesus then calling the fishermen to leave their nets and to follow him. It is a life changing moment for them, something they were not expecting, something they were unprepared for, as they hear the call…they respond…they follow. But it is much more than just following. They give their time, their energy, their lives to Jesus…they get to know him as they listen to him, as they watch him interact with all kinds of people, as they witness his miracles and his healings – they see his light shining in the world for all people.
Today is the Sunday of the Word of God when we are invited by Pope Francis to take time to reflect on the Gospel…to reflect it in our own lives…to become the light of Christ for others in our time and place. It is time for us not to be afraid of the dark but to look to the light that is Christ penetrating the darkness of our world.
Karen OSU
As we pray the Novena to St. Angela this year, I am reminded again of a quote from Cabrini Durkin, “ Angela Merici’s genius was to find God fully present in her surroundings. So complete was her experience of God that she could call this way of life in the world sacred.” I will never experience God as Angela did, but I can enter into the scene of this Sunday’s Gospel and hear God call me again to follow Him.
May we draw closer and closer to the light every passing day, pass on that light and so be light-bearers for others in these dark times.