Peace and well

28/04/2021

Gospel of Saint John 12, 44-50

On the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple, Jesus decided to proclaim among the people the mystery of his person. He is the envoy of God, he comes from God. Moreover, «he who sees me sees him who sent me.»

It is, once again, the great dilemma: «whoever rejects me and does not accept my words already has someone to judge him», because «what I speak I speak as the Father has entrusted me.» Jesus has come to save: whoever does not accept him excludes himself from life.

This time the revelation of his identity – for which on other occasions he uses the images of bread or water or of the shepherd or of the door – he does it with another very expressive: «I have come into the world as light, and so on. Whoever believes in me will not be left in darkness.

It is the same image that appeared in the prologue of the Gospel: «the Word was the true light» (Jn 1,9) and on other solemn occasions: «I am the light of the world: whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but he will have the light of life ”(Jn 8, 12; 9, 5). But the same thing always happens: some do not want to see that light, because «men loved darkness more than light» (Jn 3:19).

Reflection

Christ as light continues to divide humanity. Also now there are those who prefer darkness or semi-darkness: light always compromises, because it reveals what there is, whether it is good or defective.

Do we, followers of Jesus, fully accept in our lives his light, which comes to us, for example, through his Word that we hear so many times? Are we «children of the light», or are there also areas in our lives that remain in darkness, for fear that the light of Christ will force us to reform them? Being children of the light means walking in the truth, without cheating, without subterfuge. It means walking in love, without hatred or resentment («whoever loves his brother remains in the light» (I Jn 2,10). «Darkness» is both allowing ourselves to be manipulated by error, and shutting ourselves up in our selfishness and not loving .

During the Easter Fiftieth, after having solemnly sung the acclamation «Light of Christ» at the Vigil, we light the Paschal Candle in our celebrations near the Book of the Word. It wants to be a symbol that we follow the Risen Christ because he is the true light of the world, and that we want to live according to that light, without darkness in our life. And also, being light for others, because Jesus already told us: «you you are the light of the world … so let your light shine before men »(Mt 5, 1416).

Fr. Antony  Majeesh George Kallely, OFM.