“From the Beginning, the Light overcomes Darkness” by Beth DeCristofaro
Beloved: What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life — for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us (1 John 1:1-2)
(…he) went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. (John 20:6-8)
Piety
Thank You Gracious and Merciful God, for your light shines in the darkness and darkness will not overcome it. Lord Jesus grace us that in our faithfulness you may continually be born anew in our world. Holy Spirit may you be present to our neighbor and our planet through our piety, study, and action.
Study
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) In human terms, Jesus’ birthday was two days ago and today we celebrate his “birthday” into Resurrection. In God’s terms, there is no difference. Before time there was God and all the manifestations of God which we have been graced to become aware of in small or great moments of human history. Contained within “the beginning” and “the Word” and “God” was and is the stilled blade of Abraham’s belief, the burning bush of “I am”, the ferocious witness of John, the quiet “yes” of Mary and Joseph, the birth travail of Jesus, the Samaritan Woman’s leap of exultant hope, the breathless awe of Martha’s testimony you are the Messiah and so many other moments in which God is revealed more clearly to humanity.
In the Beginning is a kernel of “end” - God shares with us Alpha and Omega. Of course, the Divine Omega is no end as we know it. In the moments of our own conception and birth is the kernel of what we call death. In between are many moments of death during which we may choose to throw off false idols and dead-end priorities with which we humans are enticed. There are also many birth moments disclosing more deeply who we are as brothers and sisters of Christ. We have the opportunity by fellowship with Christ to face the tomb of our own mortality and toss off the bindings of burial as did Jesus.
Action
What binds me to my own inner darkness? What causes me to seek darkness in others? Pray today for the faith to see the light. Pray for guidance to share Jesus’s light with the world.
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