Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament

April 30, 2025

Giving Darkness Its Due

Need some light? Led’s, incandescent. Florescent, soft, warm, spotlights red, blue, green, or purple lights and much more. Then there are the dim lights of hypocrisy, the bright lights of hatred, and the black lights of moral turpitude.

It’s in us to want light, but we need darkness. Scriptural metaphors of light affirm a darkness painted with all the colors of capital sins, drawing us away from the light—Christ himself. Taking on those deadly vices and the countless transgressions, we activate the free will proviso and slide into some pretty dark places.

At some point, another kind of darkness overtakes us, like an awakening in the quiet of a night when profound mysteries have clarity. This is the darkness for consideration. Those dark shadows of our imperfections and sometimes a total eclipse require restitution and a turn-around, but first, regard the dark as a place for reflection to live truth.

In the beginning, there was darkness and chaos. Then, God created light and saw it as good. In essence, out of darkness comes light, both of which occupy space and affect change as the light of the Resurrection flows from the dark of Gethsemane.

Although John urges the believers to stay in the light, our human nature knows the dark, and therein lies an opportunity to assess what we are looking for.

Day unto day pours forth speech; night unto night whispers knowledge.’ (Psalm 19:2)

So, from our dark rooms, we learn another language that leads us to beauty and truth in the light of day. Here is God’s Light, God’s power that will curse the darkness and save us from ourselves.

Prayer

I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad. (Psalm 34: 2-4)