light
The Light Of Christ
Feast Of The Presentation Of The Lord
Fr. Mark Gatto
Preached: February 2, 2025
One of the traditions on this Feast of the Presentation, is to bless candles. They are symbols of the light of Christ coming into the world. The light that is offered to humanity in the coming of God into our midst in the Incarnation. The Word of God becoming flesh.
Light is necessary to see. Without light, we would be in pure darkness, unable to see. Jesus brings a light that allows us to see more deeply as human beings. Light to see ourselves more honestly. Light to see others with greater compassion. Light to see the will of God in my life.
One of the architectural features of our new church is that each room has lots of natural light entering. Including the two large windows allowing light into our church space and even the light of the radiance around the crucifix on our reredos. All symbolizing the light of Christ al-lowing us to see more clearly.
In the gospel for this Feast we see the story of the elderly Simeon in the Temple as Mary and Joseph come to present the baby Jesus, as was the Jewish custom. He responds with a prayer that is still said each evening by priests and religious today during Night Prayer of the Liturgy of Hours. Sometimes known as the Nunc Dimittis. “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation…” He is an elderly man who has been paying attention, watching for the Messiah. It says, he was guided by the Spirit to enter the Temple just when the parents of Jesus bring in the child Jesus. He was someone who was watching, paying attention, listening for the movement of God in the world. Most others at that time failed to recognize what God was doing in Jesus. But Simeon recognized it in this little baby.
Simeon was able to recognize this because he was a man of prayer. Prayer is not ordering God to do something! Though sometimes we treat it that way. Prayer is about paying attention, be-ing awake to what God is doing in our midst. What is the will of God in this moment? In our prayer we are not ordering God to do something, we are trying to open our eyes to follow what God would want to do, so that we can join in that work of God.
The challenge for each of us is to pay attention, to listen, to watch for the movement of God in our lives, in our community, in our world. What is God doing? Do we notice it? Then join in that work of God.
There is lots of anger in our world today. So, many have spoken to me recently about the an-ger that is so often part of their life. When we see the politics, the news, social media, it cre-ates anger within us no matter which side of the issues or debates we are on. We really need to allow the light of Christ to help us to see more clearly. We are so distracted, so busy, so fo-cused on the issues in our world, that we do not see the movement of God in our midst. How do we free ourselves from being overwhelmed with anger in our lives so that we can recognize what God is doing?
We need to follow the example of Simeon who recognized the movement of God in that baby brought into the Temple by his parents. To see more clearly with the light of Christ. There are three basic things that help us to see with the light of Christ.
First, spend time in prayer. Including coming to Mass in the church, which is able to open our eyes to how God is at work in my life at this time. By taking time from our lives, to stop for a moment and join the church in prayer, it helps us to see our lives with the light of Christ.
I also recommend two key foundations of a good prayer life. Begin the day by looking ahead at our day and simply asking God to open my eyes so that I will recognize the presence of God in all that I do and in all who I meet that day. Then at the end of the day, take a short time to review the day in the light of God. What has happened? Where was God in all that I did and all the people I encountered? It is what the Jesuits call the Examen prayer. Beginning and ending each day in turning our attention to God in this way is crucial to living in the light of Christ.
Second, examine the distractions that block the light of Christ in our lives. Social media, enter-tainment and so on. For me Twitter, Youtube, they can become a distraction in my life. You may have other things that do that in your life. Take some time in silence each day. Shut out the distractions. Otherwise we can just go through life blindly.
Third, slow down. When we are too busy, rushing too much, we usually fail to see with the light of Christ. We go through life like we are walking through a fog. There is a slow move-ment that is all about slowing down. A good question to ask ourselves: Do I enjoy food, do I enjoy my relationships, do I enjoy prayer? Are we too busy? This can be an obstacle to the light of Christ.
Simeon was able to recognize the work of God in Jesus, the light of the world. We all need to allow the light of Christ to help us to see more clearly. To do this we will need to spend time in prayer, remove the distractions in our life, and slow down. Then we may be able to see with the light of Christ. See ourselves more honestly, see others with more compassion, see the will of God for more clearly.
The Light Of Christ
Feast of the Epiphany
Deacon Tom Vert
Preached: January 5, 2025
“Receive the light of Christ”, this light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly. These words are proclaimed right after someone is baptized and when they are given their baptismal candle which is lit from the Easter candle. This moment is so beautiful as we come forward to Christ the light, symbolized in the Easter candle, and then the baptismal candle is lit, and the flame, the symbol of the Holy Spirit present in us, is then held by the family.
In today’s readings on the feast of the Epiphany, we celebrate the light of Christ, shown as the star in the sky that the three wise priests of the East followed and received when they met Jesus in the stable in Bethlehem. Their hearts received this flame of love as a gift from the Holy Family, from Christ himself. We know this from the first words of the Gospel of John, “What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness.”
As we celebrate the joy of the Christmas season, it is important to focus on the “light of Christ” as symbolized by “his star” as seen by the magi.
- We see the power and positive energy of the light of Christ throughout Holy Scripture:
In the first chapter of Genesis, we hear of his presence in creation: “ Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. - In Psalm 27 we hear the promise of God’s love, “the Lord is my light and my salvation”
- In the gospel of John, we hear Jesus himself telling us that he is there for us “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
- And in John’s first letter we hear why Christ came into the world: “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and… and if we walk in the light as he himself is in
the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” - In the first reading from the prophet Isaiah, we hear the call to stand up and rejoice “your light has come!”
- And in the witness of John the Baptist we hear: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. The true light,
which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
This gift of light is the gift of Christ himself and the gift of life! We are called to receive this gift, and to share it as we are told “no one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven!”
The act of receiving a gift is interesting in that you have one who gives and one who receives. In our spiritual life, as ambassadors of Christ, we have the same…sometimes we are the ones whose flame is burning brightly to be shared and sometimes our candles are dim and low, and we need another to share their light.
In my own life, I can admit that I have had both scenarios.
After my ordination, after spiritual retreats or sometimes just after times of quiet silence and prayer, I can feel my flame alive and flickering and hot and ready to share with others who need a listening ear or a kind word.
But other times, even recently, I have to admit that my light has been lower and the flame has needed to be lit by others kindness and love and support. It is great to know that people who have gone through struggles, are nice enough to be open and share their stories and their flames of light that have grown as they made it through.
Sometimes we are the magi that receive God’s light and sometimes we act as the Holy Family to share that light with others. This week I would like you to think about this phrase, “receive the light of Christ”.
Are you in a place where your flame is strong and you can look around and share that flame with someone who needs a kind word, or a listening ear, or a story of empathy and love that you can share to give a little fuel to their candle?
Or are you in a place that you need some “lighter fluid” so to speak? Are you ready to be open and ask for help from a parishioner, a friend, a family member, a colleague of maybe even a stranger who comes into your life?
I have always found it easier to give than to receive, as receiving many times means humility and opening ourselves up to asking for help and being more dependent.
So, I would ask you to take 5 minutes each morning this week, before you start your day to ask God: “Please Lord, show me how I am to receive your light today.”
Points Of View
25th Sunday Ordinary Time
Fr. Peter Robinson
Preached: September 22,2024
We are all familiar with different points of view, but sometimes those points of view are profoundly different — even dangerously different. Let me provide a classic, historical example:
In the mid-1700s, from the American colonists’ perspective the British government’s policies of taxation were unfair — it was taxation without representation. They believed they were entitled to the same rights as British citizens. They felt oppressed by the British monarchy’s control over their economic and political freedoms. So, they decided to fight for their rights and self-governance.
From the British perspective, however, the American colonies were part of the British Empire. They were expected to contribute to the costs of their own defence and administration; taxes and regulations were necessary measures to manage the global empire’s finances and to maintain order. The final result? The American Revolutionary War.
Now, in today’s Old Testament Reading from Wisdom, ch. 2, we find lax or apostate Jews condemning a faithful Jew, a Jew who is keeping the law of Moses, as well as the unwritten, traditional law of Israel. The enemies of this righteous person say to themselves: “he is obnoxious to us.”
Why, then, does this ancient story apply to us today? Let us ask ourselves a question: have you ever wondered why the religious leaders of Jesus’ day wanted to kill a perfect man? To answer that, we can read these words from the book of Wisdom from the perspective of Jesus’ enemies (who lived two centuries after Wisdom was written). In that light, today’s text gives us two answers why Jesus’ enemies sought his death.
First, his enemies say to themselves: if this “righteous man” [we are thinking now of Jesus] is God’s child, “he will help him and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries.” In other words, if Jesus is truly a great prophet then God will rescue him from danger. After all, why would God let a righteous prophet die? If this sounds familiar, it is — you hear the echo of these words at Easter time. In Matthew 27:43, the chief priests, scribes and elders mock Jesus on the cross, saying: “… let God deliver him now, if he wants to, for he [Jesus] said, ‘I am God’s Son.’ ” What we have here, then, is the mistaken notion that God will NOT allow a righteous person to go through suffering and even death.
Second, Jesus’ enemies say to one another: “he reproaches us for sins against the law.” You see, because Jesus is the ultimate righteous person, as he gets nearer to us he exposes sin in our lives.
Let me share an example I heard years ago: it was time for a family to take a family photo, so the photographer came to their house. The mother loved a neat home, and had carefully dusted the living room for the photo shoot. The camera was set up, the family posed, and the photographer turned on the spot lights. At that instant, everyone heard the mother gasp. Those powerful lights had just exposed every corner and surface of the room, with surfaces only half cleaned of dust … dust that was unseen in natural light.
That, spiritually speaking, is what Jesus does as he draws near to us and exposes our sin. Then, we face a decision, don’t we? We can acknowledge sin in our lives: that which is not holy, that which is selfish and hurtful. Or we can deny it. If we deny sin, we say to Jesus: “he reproaches ME for sins against the law.” We become just like those ancient mockers two centuries before the time of Christ. We find ourselves concluding: therefore, I must destroy this witness, this brightness of light. I must put out this convicting light.
However, thanks be to God, here you all are, gathered today at this mass because you welcome God’s light. Simply by just sitting here, you are saying with the writer of today’s Psalm (54th): “O God, by your name save me … Behold, God is my helper; the Lord sustains my life” (vv. 6-8).
In other words you are saying, “Jesus, please give me MORE light.”
Let There Be Light!
Easter Sunday
Deacon Tom Vert
Preached: April 9, 2023
“Let there be light!!!”
Tonight, we have the symbol of light in so many aspects of our celebration!
A new fire, symbolizing our eternal life in Christ, is made which lights the Easter candle. The candle, representing Christ himself – and the words are sung – the Light of Christ!
The single light of the Easter candle processing into the church and the spreading of light from it!
The first words of the first reading describing God’s first creation – let there be light!
It is the deacon’s job to carry the candle into the church and lead the singing, and I was thinking as I carried it what a great symbol it is of the Easter message!
The light of Christ – the light of the world – the light that conquers darkness – the resurrection that conquers death and brings us into God’s eternal light!
That is why we come together to celebrate today – that the light comes into the world, into our lives, and we are never the same.
That light also brings so much brightness that it shines joy to others and brings them closer to God also.
This image, this candle, this symbol of God’s love – should remind us of our own baptisms or those of our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
At our baptisms, after the person has been baptized with water and anointed with the sacred oil of chrism; the godparents and parents are given a candle that is lit from this same Easter candle and these words are spoken:
“Receive the light of Christ. This light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly. You have been enlightened by Christ. Walk always as children of the light and keep the flame of faith alive in your hearts.”
This flame of faith, this light, this Easter candle are a key focus for us today.
The light from the candle is actually the result of the burning of the wax, up through the wick, and combining with the oxygen in the air.
The candle burning is a great example for our spiritual life:
- In order to have a strong flame, we need 4 elements – the wax, the wick, oxygen and the spark or another flame that ignites it:
- The first element is wax which is our spiritual life – it is the sacraments, it is when we read the Bible, when we say rosaries, when we meditate – all the things we do that help to push us forward on the journey of faith
- The wax is very important because it is the fuel that sustains the flame over the long run
- The second part is the wick, which is prayer – our connection between us, and the flame that is Christ – as the wick connects the fuel of the wax to the flame; so our prayer life is that connection between us and Christ.
- The wick is also critical – if you don’t have it, or you cut it off…then the flame dies, you have lost the connection; if the wick is too small or thin, then the liquid overwhelms it and again the connection is lost. It is key to keep the flame burning in our lives by making sure our wick, our prayer life is strong – just 5-10 focused quiet minutes with God makes all the difference to keep that connection
- The third element is the oxygen that enriches the process; and I would say that this is the Holy Spirit – oxygen is always available in the air for us, everywhere waiting to help sustain the process – and the Holy Spirit is the same, always available when we need Him.
- It is not something we have to get or find but just has to be tapped into!
- And finally we have the spark of the first light or activation of the process is the Light of Christ we get from the Easter candle at our baptism – the spark that begins our journey of faith.
- The result of this combination of the spark from Christ; the spiritual life and prayer providing the wick and fuel and the oxygen that is Holy Spirit – is the flame – the light, the warmth of the Christian life!
But what happens when our candle goes out or dims until it is barely visible?
We are told to keep the flame alive in our hearts – the question for us is, as the storms of life come – the breezes of family challenges, the waves of sickness or financial distress, or just the long time in which we run the race of life – and our candle gets blown out or worn down and runs out of wax – where do we go to keep our candles lit?
The wax is hardened and the wick is small – but the fuel is still there and the oxygen of the Holy Spirit is still there!
The only element we are missing is another flame to get the reaction restarted.
So we look to the Easter candle – we look to Christ for a restart or a reboot or a refresh – this is the great thing about this annual celebration – we get a chance to start anew!
The sun that rises on the empty tomb with Christ overcoming death, is the message that He is there for us to overcome the storms of life and get our flame burning strong once again.
Not only does Christ light the candles, but also he uses each of us to help spread that flame and light candles for one another through the flame that burns inside our own hearts!
Jesus says to us “You are the light of the world, the salt of the earth – you are to bring the light to others!
We should ask ourselves: “Whose candle are we lighting? Who do we know that needs a restart” Who have we shown our love and God’s love to that needs it today?
The flame is not for us to hold selfishly but it is to be shared.
Who might be in our lives at home, at work, at the hockey rink, the soccer field or the grocery store that has had their flame go out and needs us to pass the torch to them with a kind word, a smile, or a helping hand?
As we go forth today from this Easter celebration – we should say to ourselves each time we need a boost or we see another in need of a lift in life:
Let there be light!!!
Bring Light Into The Darkness
3rd Sunday Ordinary Time
Fr. Mark Gatto
Preached: January 22, 2023
Two learned professors were discussing great thoughts on wisdom and the meaning of life. The first professor asked the second, “Henry tells me he is one of your students.” The second professor replied, “Well, Henry does attend most of my classes, but he is not one of my students.” I wonder if Jesus might say something similar about many of us Christians, that many of us are at church, but that few of us are real disciples.
We see some of the first disciples being called by Jesus. Peter, James, John, Andrew. They were out fishing, as this was their work. Very ordinary and simple people. They were called and we hear that they left everything to follow him. They became disciples of Jesus.
Today, Jesus continues to call ordinary people like us. We also need to let go and follow. To be disciples of Jesus. Disciples of Jesus are called to be instruments of God. What is that mission?
We see something about that mission in the reading from the Prophet Isaiah which is also used in the Gospel about John the Baptist. “the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,” “and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” The mission of the church, the call of disciples of Jesus, is to bring light into the darkness found in our world. Where do we find darkness in our world today?
We see darkness in how we are treating our environment. Creation itself is falling into darkness in various ways. Pollution, extinction of species, climate change. The church is called to bring light, to be instruments of God caring for creation. In Genesis, human beings are called to be “stewards” of creation. Not to have control over creation, but to care for creation.
We see darkness in the reality of war. Seen clearly in the horror of the war in Ukraine. Also seen in the violence of terrorists in terrible acts like we saw last week when a Catholic priest in Nigeria was burned to death in his home. Seen often even in our families where there is division and brokenness. The church is called to bring light, to be instruments of God working for peace and healing among all peoples.
This week is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. How can we Christians be peacemakers in the world when we are unable to be united with our fellow Christians? Disciples of Jesus must share the desire of Jesus that we be one. We can only bring light fully into our world if we work for Christian unity.
Last week in the United States they celebrated Martin Luther King day. One of the great civil rights leaders. Many of those civil rights leaders in the 50’s and ’60s were imprisoned and even killed. The first disciples of Jesus were also often imprisoned and many of them died martyrs. Instruments of God will often face opposition when they are working for justice, peace, the dignity of the poor and marginalized.
Jesus needs disciples today. Disciples who are ready to follow him and be instruments of God in our world. To bring light into darkness. Today that includes bringing light to the care for creation, the struggle for peace, the efforts for Christian unity, to the work for the equality and dignity of all human beings.
Where to begin? Begin with one person, one member of your family, one friend, and one person in your neighbourhood. One person who is lonely, depressed, sick, or in need in some way. In some practical way bring light into the life of that person.
There are lots of Christians in our world, but how many disciples of Jesus are there?
Be instruments of God. Bring God’s light into the dark corners of our world.
How Many Lumens Am I?
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A
Deacon Tom Vert
Preached: January 19, 2020
How many lumens do you shine?
When we go to look for a light at Home Depot, the box tells us how many lumens of energy the light emits – a typical light around 1000-2000 lumens and one that is brighter over 5000 lumens.
“Lumens” is a fancy name for candlepower as they are calculated by a candle giving off one square foot of light from one foot away.
So how many lumens, is how many candles of light are emitted from your spiritual light source.
Our spiritual light source is the power of the Holy Spirit we received at our baptisms and throughout our lives.
At our baptisms we receive our baptismal candle which is lit from the Easter candle and we are told “this light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly” and to “keep the flame of faith alive in our hearts”!
The image of light is so powerful in our faith:
- The first thing God created was light – let there be Light!
- Isaiah tells us in the first reading today that God will make him and us a “light to the nations”
- In the book of James, we hear “light has come into the world”
- Jesus is the “light of the world”
- And in Romans, “let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light”
This theme of light and showing our light to the world is the key to today’s readings.
In the first reading we hear Isaiah speaking in a spirit of thanksgiving. He is thanking God for all he has done through him.
God says – “you are my servant…through whom I show my glory”. This is key as it shows that God shines through us – the power and strength of the Holy Spirit that we have been given in grace is what we are to show to the world. These are to be our lumens that shine forth!
Isaiah was told that he was “formed as a servant from the womb”, just as each one of us is formed with unique gifts and talents that only our own candles will have.
In the psalm we have sung – “Here am I Lord, I come to do your will.” This phrasing is important because it shows us that when we shine our lives out for those to see – it only works if we are doing His will and not our own!
We shine forth to show God’s love and mercy and forgiveness to all those around us, not for the spotlight to be shining on ourselves.
The psalm also teaches us that we are to have “ears open to obedience” and “God’s law in our hearts”.
Always we are called to have God’s message as the focus and source of our candlelight!
In the second reading which is the first 3 lines of St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, we hear two key messages: Paul is “called to be an apostle by the will of God” and we are “called to be holy”
Both of these are important as we see that even the most famous preacher of the gospel, St. Paul, doesn’t focus on himself – he was called by the will of God.
The beautiful message today is that we are called by the same will of God and we are empowered to be holy by the same gift of the Holy Spirit that Paul was.
Paul may have been knocked down by the light of Christ on the road to Damascus, but we receive the exact same light of Christ at our own baptisms! There is only one Holy Spirit who through the centuries has carried God’s message to each and every one of us.
When Paul says, “Grace and peace to you”, it echoes what we hear at the beginning of each mass – “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all”
The grace and the peace are the same as 2000 years ago, with the same source in the power of the Holy Spirit.
And then we hear in the gospel today this beautiful story of John the Baptist and Christ at the Jordan just after Christ’s baptism.
John points his own disciples towards Christ and says, “Behold the Lamb of God”. His supporters would have known the Old Testament reference he was making to the “gentle lamb led to the slaughter” that was prophesized by Jeremiah and Isaiah.
They would have known that he was telling them this is the Messiah who would redeem the Jewish nation by his sacrifice and would be a conquering lamb like king David.
John knows his role, he is not the Messiah, he says “this is the reason I came – that he might be made known”.
John knows his calling is based on his unique gifts and this should cause us to pause and think of the gifts that God has given to us individually. What is the talent that I have that is to shine forth so that people can see my connection to Christ?
The question we have is how much light is shining out from our Spirit, and if we have grown dim or dull over time, how do we now increase our lumens?
There are 2 ways to do this:
- We have to make sure we are connected to the power – the light bulb doesn’t work if it isn’t connected! This means that we have to make sure our prayer life is strong and that we receive the “medicine” of the Eucharist to give us strength.
- We have to make sure that our lights are not covered in dust and dirt, etc. It is amazing isn’t it that dust accumulates so slowly over time, but if you look after a while you can wipe off the layer of white with your finger. Sin is the same, it creeps slowly into our lives unannounced, but we have power through reconciliation to wipe the bulb clean!
So then what kind of light are we shining forth? If the source is the Holy Spirit, then the candle power that shines forth are the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
We shine forth kindness, gentleness, peace, goodness, self-control, faithfulness, patience, joy and of course love.
The more we see these fruits in action in our lives, the more we know our light is shining brightly.
We hear in the bible “No one lights a lamp to put it under the tub – they put it on a lampstand where it shines for everyone in the house.” You are that lamp, shining brightly for all to see!
So, this week ask yourself this one question when you pray “How many lumens am I?”