Reflecting on the Word

By Rev. James A. Wallace, C.Ss.R.

Most of us can recognize times when we are “in the dark” and occasions when  we carry darkness in our hearts, just as there are moments when we feel enlightened and find that our vision is clear. It is quite another thing to become identified with darkness or with light. The first words of today’s reading from the Letter to the Ephesians stand out for their boldness: “You were once darkness, but now  you are light in the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8).  

We get a glimpse of what it means to be light in the Lord both from Samuel,  who finally sees as God sees, and in the courageous behavior of the man born  blind after Jesus has healed him. Samuel anoints Israel’s greatest king, David, and  the man born blind comes to faith in Jesus as Lord. 

The man born blind is one of those strong figures found in John’s Gospel. Like  the woman at the well, we never learn his name but we come to know his heart.  His speech is straightforward, whether speaking to his neighbors, the Pharisees,  or Jesus. You can hear the gradual dawning of faith as he responds to those  around him, from the simple “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I  can see” to “He is a prophet,” to his answer to Jesus’ question about having faith  in the Son of man standing before him, “I do believe, Lord” (John 9:15, 17, 38).  

In the beginning, God spoke. Those first words have never stopped bringing  about what they said: “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3). 

Consider/Discuss

  • What does it mean to be darkness? To be light? 
  • Are you open to the light as Samuel and the man born blind were,  willing to submit to it when it speaks to or touches you? 
  • Are you part of a community that strives to live in the light? 

Responding to the Word

We pray to God as the ineffable light shining forth in the darkness, ever creating anew, calling forth from the darkness of fear and prejudice and hatred a community of men and women who choose to live in the light of Christ. We pray God to remove our attraction to the darkness, replacing it with a love for the Light.

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