What a cool story today from Acts 5. The Apostles once again get thrown into the hoosegow when, in the middle of the night, an angel comes and opens the doors to the prison and lets them out. This is getting to be something of a pattern for these guys! In fact, today we might say that the Apostles were a bunch of jailbirds. Our Gospel reading for today starts with John 3:16, maybe the most familiar verse in Scripture. But today I would like to concentrate on the second half of this reading.
St. John says, “the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.” How true, huh? Whenever we do underhanded things, we always want to keep them in the dark, hidden from view. Perhaps this is a good litmus test to check our works.
St. John loved to juxtapose darkness and light. We all have dark places within our hearts. But we also have the light of Christ. So each day we must choose. The darkness draws us. So does the light. We can choose to follow the darkness. But when we do, we will never be the people that God is calling us to be. Because He sent His Son, who is Light. And that Light beckons us to Him. Let us follow the Light, and leave behind the ways of darkness.
Father, you know that we too often follow the darkness. Draw us ever closer to your son, who is the Light. May His light shine forth from us. Amen.
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