Building “homes of light” – to care for life and generate new life

To speak of Christmas is to refer to the light of God in our midst. A light that shines in the darkness. In this year 2020 there has been a lot of darkness and so it is harder for us to discover this light amid all that we are living through. And yet, that light has never faltered.

Christmas is a time to look for ways to rekindle that light:

• the light that comes from the Good News of having God among us, for that Christmas is all about.
• the light that gives us hope to face the uncertainty that surrounds us.
• the light that helps us to overcome our fears and anxieties (which may have increased in this coronavirus era).
• the light that we glimpse in the generosity and dedication of so many people in their service to others.
• The light that leads us to imagine a different future, one that we want to create together under the watchful gaze of God. Like the star of Bethlehem that led the Magi from the East to go on their quest beyond their cultures and homelands.

Caring for the light that is in each of us, requires developing our inner lives and spirituality. We must look within and there perceive the light of God shining brightly, a source of hope.

We learn from Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and our mother, how to do this. We can imagine her heart, so free and full of God, and therefore transparent to God’s light. The light that came from within her was the light of God shining in and through her. We are invited to have the same experience.

We are also invited to discern the light of everyone around us, in our communities, families, fraternities, workplaces.

We are invited to discern the light of the most vulnerable, those who lack even the basics of life. We share what we have, to share our very selves. And to let their light shine on us.

To be a beacon of hope in this troubled world is an invitation for us to let our light shine, not just as individuals, but as communities and families, as a global family.

Guided by the star of Bethlehem, let us build “homes of light”, in this moment of fragility and vulnerability around the world.

May this Christmas and the coming year 2021 be full of hope for you.