Like many people, when I was a small child I was very afraid of the dark. I remember a few times being out with my family and returning to our darkened home late at night. The house without any light always seemed like a very frightening place to me! It was only after my father would enter the house and put on a few lights that I would feel safe to enter there again. Those lights literally chased away whatever seemed frightening about the darkness.
A number of years ago, I gave a lot of spiritual reflection to my childhood fear of the dark while I spent some days of silent retreat in a very simple and remote hermitage cabin. I was by myself in that place, and had no electricity, no running water and only very few creature comforts. It was really the first time I had ever stayed in such a place. While there, I had to rely completely on candles and/or flashlights to see through the darkness that came after the sunset. While I recalled my childhood fear of the dark, I reflected a lot on the great power the light has over both fear and darkness. I found that even the smallest and seemingly most insignificant candle was able to spread a great amount of light in the darkness of that place–and could provide me with great comfort! I think we can then say a small candle that effectively cuts through the darkness is very significant indeed!
In the Christian imagination, “the darkness” is associated with sin and all of its accompanying anguish and grief, while “the light” is compared to God’s presence and grace among us. I came to a much better understanding of that imagery when I spent those nights at that hermitage! On this Christmas day, all of us might be able to understand what I believe to be a parallel between the small, apparently insignificant candle I used in that primitive hermitage, and the birth of the Baby Jesus in that small and very humble town of Bethlehem.
Jesus came as a light in the darkness of our world, and was born into poverty as a tiny child in an out-of-the-way and lowly town. And although that tiny child, and the circumstances of his birth, seemed rather insignificant and unrefined, it actually was he who was to be the hope for a world shrouded in darkness. He who seemed completely “lowly” was sublimely the greatest human ever to be born! The birth of the Baby Jesus decisively brought the enduring and eternal light of God to the world, and would definitively chase away any darkness that could threaten it. The grace of God he brought with that light gave people hope that they would be able to overcome the darkness of sin in their lives, and this promised all people the hope of reconciliation and peace with our loving Father in heaven. That’s amazing and awesome!
My sisters and brothers, the Gospel tells us that “the light shines on in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it” (see John 1:5). Let us then be confident that the darkness indeed has been conquered, that sin has been chased away, that our own dignity has been lifted, and we have been made holy and true sons and daughters of our Most High and Eternal God.
On this Christmas Day, let us thank our mighty God for giving us the great gift of Jesus his Son. With him, let us believe in our own greatness, and let us live without fear and always walk as children the light!
Praise God! Friar Timothy
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