Light of the World!

Monday, April 7, 2025

Dan 13:41c-62; Jn 8:12-20

Today’s Gospel highlights the blessings of following Jesus, the Light of the World. 

Following Jesus, the light of our life, entails three things. 

1.If we follow Jesus, we will not be overwhelmed by darkness, which symbolizes evil. The concept of spiritual blindness reminds us that when we stray from the light of God, our hearts become dull and unresponsive to divine revelation. This is how the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees were blinded from recognizing the identity of Jesus as the Son of God. 

2. When we follow Jesus, the light, we too acquire the properties of light. In other words, we become like who we follow. The light of Jesus transforms us into becoming the best selves we can be. Here, we not only circumvent the disabling effect of darkness but also put on the empowering light in proportion to our success in imitating Jesus. 

3. When we follow Jesus, the light, we become light to others. Just as Jesus became the beacon of hope for his contemporaries, Christians become change agents in the world when we walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Empowered by the light of Jesus, we become the empowering presence in the world, impacting it and transforming it in better ways. 

Let us pray that, following Jesus the Light, we may become the persons we are intended to be. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar