Sunday is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Forty days after Christmas Jesus was presented to the Lord in the Temple. Simeon meets Mary, Joseph, and Jesus and says that the child Jesus is: “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” (Lk 2:32) This Feast is also called Candlemas and Church tradition has us begin Mass by blessing candles and processing with them.
When we were baptized, a light was taken from the Paschal Candle and presented to us or to our parents and godparents, if we were too young to hold a candle safely. The Deacon or Priest said:
“Receive the Light of Christ. Parents and godparents, this light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly. These children of yours have been enlightened by Christ. They are to walk always as children of the light. May they keep the flame of faith alive in their hearts. When the Lord comes, may they go out to meet him with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom.” (Rite of Baptism for Children, n.127)
The Light of Christ is entrusted to us to keep burning brightly alive in our hearts. How are you doing with that? Is the Light of Christ seen in you? Is it on full power or faintly burning? Wherever we fall in the spectrum, the Light of Christ remains in us.
Last Sunday, we heard in the prophet Isaiah: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom, a light has shone” (Is. 9:1). When quoted in the Gospel we heard: “The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.” (Mt. 4:16).
Notice the bolded verbs in the quote from Isaiah are in the past tense: “walked” and “dwelt.” The bolded verbs in Matthew’s Gospel are in the present tense, “sit” and “dwelling.” While the Light of Christ will not be overshadowed, we heard at Christmas there is still darkness that needs Christ’s light: there is a darkness in ourselves, our families, our Church, our nation, and our world. Yet, the Good News of Christmas, The Third Sunday in Ordinary Time A, and The Presentation of the Lord, is that we have a light that will guide us through any situation and empower us to be the Light of Christ for our world.
In 12-step programs people can sometimes feel sorry for themselves and sit on the proverbial pity pot. The wisdom of the program is the wisdom of these feasts and readings. They tell us to “Get up off of your pity pot and look out.” In other words, raise your heads and your eyes. See that there are people suffering more than you who need the Light. St. Francis de Sales offers similar advice: “Our imperfections are going to accompany us to the grave. Do not be disheartened by your imperfections, but always rise up with fresh courage.”
Our imperfections and darkness are always with us. These are gifts to us because they can lead us to renew God’s merciful Christ-Light if we rise up with fresh courage. We are sinners, whether our sin is big or small. None of us is perfect. Yet, as a friend of mine recently said to his son who was contemplating suicide, “God is good and so are we.” We are made in the Divine image; thus, we are God’s love made real and visible. God dwells in us.
When we are tempted to think, “I’m a schmuck, unworthy, unlovable, and/or unforgivable,” we must remember that God dwells in us. Look up and see the darkness around you, see where you can be the Light of Christ for others. Look to those who can be light for you and, turn to the Light of Christ in them.
As we prepare to celebrate Candlemas on Sunday, remember that we have received the Light of Christ. We are living candles when we “Live+Jesus,” we become the light of God’s merciful love alive and real today. God is good and so are we. When we’ve been in darkness that goodness shines brighter, if we turn to the Light and live it.
May God be praised.
Paul H. Colloton, OSFS
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DeSales Weekly Editor: : Rev. John (Jack) Kolodziej, OSFS
