Posted by The WORD in other words (2006) by Frater Aris Martin SVD – Divine Word Seminary of Tagaytay
December 29 – Octave of Christmas
Look around and Christmas is unimaginable without lights. It seems that the spirit of this season is incarnated in the lights. I am almost tempted to say…and the Word became flesh is equivalent to …and the Light became flesh. We put light everywhere from the Christmas trees to lanterns, and for some, even in their comfort rooms.
Where there is so much light, we feel secured! But have you ever wondered if there were Christmas lights during the first Christmas? Were there lanterns of different kinds? Where there electric companies supplying power for the enormous lights that we have now? Were the Holy Family secured?
Today, the first reading speaks of the New Commandment which says, whoever loves his brother (or sister) remains in the light…(1 Jn 2:10)
What has loving got to do with the light?
The Gospel answers this when Simeon recognized Jesus as the a light for revelation to the Gentiles…(Lk 2:32)
Jesus as experienced and written by John in his letter is referred to as LOVE and in the Gospel, Jesus is seen by Simeon as the LIGHT to the Gentiles. Jesus is indeed the incarnate LOVE who is at the same time the LIGHT that shines through the darkness of our sin and unbelief. For a person in love always sheds light to his beloved. Jesus who is so much in love is no less than the light that brightens our world, his beloved.
Being the beloved and being given the brightness of Christ’s light call for an active loving and sharing of the light!
Our tremendous experience of being loved and being given the light compel us to reach out to others in order that they may also experience the same love and light of Christ. May Christ’s Light overcome the darkness of our hatred, of our indifference and of our pride. For the Light of our Lover is more powerful and more enduring than the best of the Christmas lights we can ever see. Let this season be an opportunity for us to lighten up the lives of others by getting reconciled with them. Then we no longer have hesitations to say…and the LIGHT was made flesh in us.
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