Light the Darkness By Beth DeCristofaro

 Light the Darkness By Beth DeCristofaro

 

Brothers and sisters: Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. To my shame I say that we were too weak! 

(2 Corinthians 11:18)

 

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.” (Matthew 6:22-23)

 

Piety

My friend Jesus, too often I find myself distracted by the shiny, glittering things about me in life: a lovely house, the coveted promotion, a seat at a not-diverse table, comfortable and reliable food, water and A/C.  I genuinely do not want to experience the sufferings of Paul, even if they are in your name.  May your light show me that suffering happens to us all.  Open my eyes to your presence above all else and bend my heart to you no matter where it leads me. 

 

Study

In today’s reading from Corinthians, Paul catalogs some of the trials he experienced as he evangelized.  He did this to respond to charges that he was inauthentic in his preaching.  And yet, he states he and the community were all too weak despite enduring hardship and cruelty because there is no price too high for following Jesus.  Paul’s detractors, among other charges, claimed he was an ineffective preacher.  He points out that worldly goods, shallow practices and personal ability, such as public speaking, do not necessarily lead us to Jesus.  In fact, they might derail us as we focus on the transient not the eternal.

 

In our Cursillo weekends, and hopefully, in our Group Reunions, we try to identify the priorities (Jesus calls them “treasures”) of our lives.  Our walk with Jesus helps us to balance our treasures better.  Perhaps the greatest weakness we can strive for is that more profound relationship with Jesus, which illuminates our soul. The lamp of the body is the eye. It is the beacon of God’s light that indeed reveals where our treasure is.  It points the way to safe passage – a life of loving God first and our neighbor as ourselves.  And it shines to provide safe passage around the dangerous shoals of transient, decadent “treasures on earth” (Matthew 6:19). Living out of our greatest weakness will indeed look like foolishness when we drop the trappings of a successful life (as defined by society) and with Christ live with and love the poor, prisoners, blind, oppressed, and proclaim Jesus by his light shining from us. (from Luke 4:18)

 

Action

We can’t love others if we are blinded by too much obstructing our line of vision. Neither the threat of suffering nor the empty promise of success can keep Jesus from enfolding us in his loving arms.  What might be blocking you from seeing that light? 

 

Pray today for all those who cannot see the light.  Pray extra for those who choose not to see Christ’s light, those who use God as an excuse for hatred, bias, judgment of others.