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(Scriptures for today's Mass)
Audio for homily
Is there any darkness in your life? in your heart? in your thoughts?
Maybe the darkness of fear… perhaps the darkness of grief…
possibly the darkness of loneliness… or the darkness of worry…
is it the darkness of failure… the darkness of sin…
or the darkness of pain… or want… or hopelessness?
Into just such darkness in peoples’ lives
walked John the Baptist 2000 years ago
and into just such darkness in peoples’ lives
he walks into our midst this morning, in the gospel.
And to those who dwell in darkness, John promises a light.
He says clearly that he is not the light.
He came only to testify to the light
to announce that the light has dawned, has come into the
world.
And the light is Jesus, a light no darkness can extinguish.
Whatever darkness you and I might find ourselves in today,
that darkness, as great as it may seem to us,
cannot overcome, cannot overshadow, cannot eclipse
the light of Christ.
John came to bear witness to that light
to hold the Christ-light for us
as one holds a lamp to light the path.
My Advent reading this past week led me to these wise words:
“It matters that we
hold the light for one another.
It matters that we
bear witness to the Light that holds us all.”
(Jan Richardson, The Advent Door)
So… who holds the
light for you in your darkness?
And in whose
darkness do you hold the light for another?
• We hold the Christ-light
for each other
when we walk
together the most difficult legs of life’s journey.
• We hold the Christ-light
for others
by our presence, our
compassion, our sharing of ourselves.
• We hold the
Christ-light in others’ darkness
when we welcome
them, forgive them, accept and
embrace them.
• We hold the Christ-light
in the darkness
by sharing our faith
with others, that is,
by pointing to the
light of Christ in our own lives
and inviting others
to stand with us in that light with us.
Of all the Christmas
lights you and I might put on a tree this year,
or in our windows,
or around our front doors,
no light will be
greater, no light brighter,
no light will more
perfectly penetrate the darkness
than the Christ-light
we hold for each other.
If I spend some time
pondering the question,
“Who holds the light
of Christ for me in my darkness?”
I’ll find in the answer
the greatest gift that could be mine this Christmas.
And if I spend some
time pondering the question,
“For whom do I hold the light of Christ in the darkness?”
I’ll find the
greatest gift I can possibly give this
Christmas.
Remember: like John
the Baptist - we are not the light.
We don’t have to be the light for others.
John served others
by letting them know he saw the light,
he believed in God,
and his belief made a difference in his
life,
and in doing that he
held the Christ-light for them.
Like John, we’re
called to point to Christ in our own lives
that others might
walk by his light, too,
and trust that no
darkness can overcome it.
Who serves you by
holding the Christ-light in your darkness?
Whom do you serve by
holding the Christ-light in another’s darkness?
Will we serve one
another in sharing Christ’s light?
Please take your
hymnals and turn to hymn 374.
And join me in
singing…
The Servant Song
Will you let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant too.
Will you let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant too.
We are
pilgrims on the journey
We are travelers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.
We are travelers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold
the Christ-light for you
In the nighttime of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the peace you long to hear.
In the nighttime of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the peace you long to hear.
I will weep
when you are weeping
When you laugh, I’ll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we’ve seen this journey through.
When you laugh, I’ll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we’ve seen this journey through.
When we sing
to God in heaven
We shall find such harmony
Born to all we’ve known together
Of Christ’s love and agony.
We shall find such harmony
Born to all we’ve known together
Of Christ’s love and agony.
Will you let
me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant too.
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant too.
- Richard Gillard
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We sounded pretty good!
ReplyDeleteRosemary