Are You A Light Of Christ To Others?

1 John 2:3-11
Luke 2:22-35

 “. . . for the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.”  1 John 2:8

We are still in the octave of Christmas and our readings point to the gift that has been given to us-Christ our light. In the same vein, if we are children of light, we do not belong to darkness anymore. To be in Christ is to keep his commandments and what are these commandments, they are two sides of the same coin which He has handed over to us through his apostles, that is, to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and to love our neighbors as ourselves. The message is implied in our relationship with our brothers.
Walking in the light requires us to love our “brother” which is not about a sibling but our next-door neighbor, people in our neighborhood, our subdivision, society, and all who live on earth.

The Gospel of Luke is about the Presentation of Jesus -the Light of the World in the Temple. Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple to present him to God and to offer sacrifice according to the Jewish custom. There they met Simeon a “righteous and devout” man who had hoped in the promise of a Messiah. What a privilege this must have been to be able to see the one who would bring salvation to the world.

“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of every people,
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.”
Simeon’s “Nunc coepi’ is profound and has been a reminder for us to be a light to others in other words, a call to faith, a response to that same faith and to reveal God to others.

Am I taking time to pray each day or reflect on the daily readings? Do I find time to sit in silence and understand what God wants to offer me in his words? Am I patient enough to listen to God calling me to a spiritual re-awakening?

We can’t be a light if we don’t have the light. Thus, we must bear witness to the light of Christ for us to transform others. Christ is the Light that no darkness can diminish may he continue to be our Light and in the coming New Year bring us good tidings of peace and joy! Amen.

Fr Joseph Osho