The light in my darkness
Yeah, Redskins!!! Woo-hoo!! Playoffs!! Joe Gibbs is the man! For all of you non-Redskins fans, first of all, whadya thinking? Second, yeah, it's been a long time, but this is sweeeet! I like our chances against Tampa Bay (revenge time) tomorrow, and really would like to see how we'd fare against Seattle. We're the hottest team in the NFL right now!
Oh, last question: "hey, Cowboys fans...Fr Ray...whadya doin tomorrow around 4:30?" (that's when I'll be watching my team in the playoffs!)
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Ok, back to business here (hey, we haven't been very good for a long time, so we have to enjoy it while it's here!). So, this Sunday is the feast of the Epiphany. "What exactly do we celebrate on the Epiphany anyways?", you ask. Good question...I have an answer (I should, right?). The Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of Christ as the Messiah, particularly to the magi, the three wise men who followed a star to the baby Jesus.
Christ shows himself to these men who came to "pay him homage". But, they were from lands foreign to Jews, and were commonly known as magicians and astrologers. Hardly the pious crew you would expect to be at the Nativity scene. Can we say that these men were in darkness until they saw the light who is Christ? Can we say that about ourselves...that we are in darkness? If we haven't found Christ, we haven't found the light. He is the Light of the World. Without Him, yes, we are in darkness.
I lived the first 20 years of my life in darkness. Not complete darkness because I vaguely knew Christ. I would get into Holy Week every year, and pray to God when I needed stuff (real solid spiritual life, huh?). But, I really didn't know Christ at all. I was in darkness, and I knew it at about the age of 20. I was miserable, lonely, and discouraged (ewww, bad combo). I went to other things to bring me out of the darkness, but they just made things worse.
I actually had an idea to move to the West Coast and start over in life. That was my light! The light of California...sunshine, beaches, ocean, blondes...that was it. The mere thought of it brightened up my dark life. But, that would probably be the only way it could be my light...as a fantasy. Fantasy usually appears much brighter and better than reality. That's why we fantasize so much. It wouldn't have been a real light, or THE light.
Yes, I knew I was in darkness. I just didn't know Christ was the light ...
(to be continued)
Oh, last question: "hey, Cowboys fans...Fr Ray...whadya doin tomorrow around 4:30?" (that's when I'll be watching my team in the playoffs!)
------------------------------------------
Ok, back to business here (hey, we haven't been very good for a long time, so we have to enjoy it while it's here!). So, this Sunday is the feast of the Epiphany. "What exactly do we celebrate on the Epiphany anyways?", you ask. Good question...I have an answer (I should, right?). The Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of Christ as the Messiah, particularly to the magi, the three wise men who followed a star to the baby Jesus.
Christ shows himself to these men who came to "pay him homage". But, they were from lands foreign to Jews, and were commonly known as magicians and astrologers. Hardly the pious crew you would expect to be at the Nativity scene. Can we say that these men were in darkness until they saw the light who is Christ? Can we say that about ourselves...that we are in darkness? If we haven't found Christ, we haven't found the light. He is the Light of the World. Without Him, yes, we are in darkness.
I lived the first 20 years of my life in darkness. Not complete darkness because I vaguely knew Christ. I would get into Holy Week every year, and pray to God when I needed stuff (real solid spiritual life, huh?). But, I really didn't know Christ at all. I was in darkness, and I knew it at about the age of 20. I was miserable, lonely, and discouraged (ewww, bad combo). I went to other things to bring me out of the darkness, but they just made things worse.
I actually had an idea to move to the West Coast and start over in life. That was my light! The light of California...sunshine, beaches, ocean, blondes...that was it. The mere thought of it brightened up my dark life. But, that would probably be the only way it could be my light...as a fantasy. Fantasy usually appears much brighter and better than reality. That's why we fantasize so much. It wouldn't have been a real light, or THE light.
Yes, I knew I was in darkness. I just didn't know Christ was the light ...
(to be continued)
posted by Fr Greg at
4:51 PM
1 Comments:
O.k. that was like reading a good book and right when you get to the "who did it" or whatever, someone snatches it right from you!! SINCE Deacon Greg… you are famous (mentioned in the Catholic Standard), we will just have to be patient and wait.
You write up on the Epiphany is awesome. It helped me understand better and gave me a different spin on the Magi. Thanks DEACON Greg!!
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