Posted by The WORD in other words (2022) by Fr Anthony Ynzon SVD – Christ the King Seminary
Monday 5th Week in Ordinary Time
There was once a distressed lady who approached a guru to seek advice. Like Snow White’s evil stepmother, Queen Grimhilde, this lady wanted to be “the prettiest and fairest of them all.” Realizing that in the real world there are thousands of “Snow Whites,” the guru immediately knew that what the lady desired is impossible. Nonetheless, he asked the lady to spend one year to thoroughly consider the many consequences that such beauty would bring to her life. If she still wanted what she asked for after a year of pondering, she was to come back to the guru and he promised to reveal to her a way to get her wish.
The lady agreed and spend the next days imagining the wealth, fame, and power that are sure to befall one who is the most beautiful in the world. She dreamt of the long line of princes, kings, and emperors who would like to have her as their queen. She foresaw how all the other girls would look to her in envy, and how they would attempt but fail to come close to her charm and beauty. Needless to say, the more she thought of all these possibilities, the more she wanted the year to end so that she can finally return to the guru to demand the secret he has promised her.
Finally, a year passed, and when the guru woke up in the morning, the lady was already at his doorsteps, not wanting to waste another second to be the fairest and prettiest of them all. Calmly, the guru gave the lady the key to his house, picked up his bag, and left, saying, “I am moving to the next mountain; this mountain is all yours. People know that I will be in the other mountain; there will be no one to disturb you here.” With no one to compare herself with, the lady became the prettiest and fairest…and loneliest of them all.
In contrast, the light of the world, Jesus, although he is the brightest, did not choose to compete with humanity. Rather, he chose to share his radiance to all who would accept his Father’s plan of salvation. Many could not understand his benevolence. The Pharisees wanted comparisons; they operated like the lady who approached the guru. They understood light only in view of darkness. God however gave us the light of his Son, Jesus, and from his light, we will see light.
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