Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the Lord shines,
and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance. (Is 60:1-3)
At the Vigil Mass of Easter, we light and bless the fire and then light and bless the Paschal Candle. We enter the church singing joyfully, “Christ, Our Light! Thanks be to God!” And we mean it.
Jesus Christ is our light. He is the source of all goodness and He illuminates the inner recesses of our souls giving us the opportunity to purge away all the things that keep us from a closer union with Him.
That great image of light is the main theme in today’s readings as well as we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. On this day, we remember the Magi who followed the star — Kings [shall walk] by your shining radiance — until it led them to Jesus, the source of all light.
When Jesus comes into our lives, we fulfill that promise of Isaiah — you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow — and we share the light given to us, leading others to the glory of the Lord.
Today, then, if you will, is a reminder to us all about the great opportunity that has been given to us by our God, an opportunity to be source of light and hope for others as we share the light and hope given to us by our God.
We walk by the light of Christ just as the Magi of old did. We allow that light to lead us past the darkness of sin into a closer relationship with God. We are transformed and are called to lead others to a deeper faith.
This is our heritage. This is our hope. Be that Christmas message, that Christmas gift, to the world!
FAITH ACTION: Ask yourself how you can allow your light to shine among your family, among your coworkers, and among your friends so that you may share with them the hope given to you by Jesus Christ, the light of the world.