Everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
for everything that becomes visible is light.
(Ephesians 5: 13-14)
For the human mind, human understanding, to deal with our faith, with the mystery of God, we have to make a shift from what might be called thinking directly on the subject to a thinking by analogy.
To bring our minds to dealing with mystery, we hear again and again about the "light" of faith. We know that it is from our experiences that we came come to some understanding of God and the mystery he is to and for us.
For example, it is our human experience of love that enables us to elevate our thoughts to God's love for us. It is our understanding of divine love that draws us ever closer to holiness.
Of course it is the human experience of a human being who happened to be at the same time Son of God, that greatly assists us in understanding what holiness can be for us. We have come, just as Paul did, to know of Jesus as holiness itself. For us to know this human Jesus is to again have the experience that leads us to a stronger relationship with God, the Father and the Holy Spirit.
It is knowing or experiencing Jesus as man that we come to find in our lives the light of Christ, the source of vision, of light in our experience of faith. At the same time it is in the knowing of Jesus, the man, that we are invited on a unique spiritual journey of knowing ourselves and the mystery that we are. We don't walk an easy journey in our lifetime when we are moving ahead without a genuine relationship with Jesus. Closely related with Jesus, trusting his teachings and his personal conversations in our heart, we learn so much more about ourselves. Again, he is the light that makes who we are visible to ourselves.
Imagine all of the "idols," all of the "theories," all of the "inventions" we experience in our lifetime. Do these realities bring us a deeper awareness of why God made us? Paul's insight is a great light. He came to see the light in his lifetime -- the light that in Jesus we come to know who we truly are.
As we begin this jubilee journey, assisted by the words of Saint Paul, see in these reflections an assistance to each person's personal journey toward the ultimate goal --- being with God. Let these insights and reflections serve each of us in deepening our understanding of God's presence in our lives.
Jesus, draw me into a deeper share in your risen and glorified life.
May my faith in you enable me to see that everything
that happens to me in this world
is meant to lead me
to your glory.
Amen.
Insights and prayer from John Janaro, "Praying With St. Paul,"
professor, Christendom College.
