You are all children of light and children of the day; we do not belong to the night, nor to darkness (1 Thess 5:5).
Light has always been a symbol of life. The rising sun each day signals a new beginning and an opportunity for a fresh start.
Light has been featured in the histories of many civilizations and religions symbolizing rededication, freedom, victory over evil and hope.
For Christians, Jesus Christ is the light that illuminates the darkness of the world.
Light, therefore, is charged with strong symbolism and represents the presence of the divine and is a gift for humanity and the earth.
You are all children of light and children of the day; we do not belong to the night, nor to darkness.
But what are the characteristics of the children of the day? One of them is choosing to love our neighbor. Another is to live each moment fully. This leads us to the renunciation of lethargy and apathy into which we can so easily fall. It calls us to remain in a state of wakefulness.
In Paul’s letter, to the Thessalonians he invites the community to keep watch together renouncing all kinds of stupor and indifference. During a time when humanity is particularly in need of light, we see that Paul gives us direction when he wrote, “We who live by day must be alert, putting on faith and love as a breastplate.” (cf. 1 Thess 5:8) Therefore, we have the task of bringing greater clarity to all human relationships by a process of continuous self giving that, through faith, love and hope, making visible the presence of the Risen One.
Cultivating a closer and more sincere relationship with God by searching our hearts deeply through prayer and by living out his word makes this light shine out.
You are all children of light and children of the day; we do not belong to the night, nor to darkness.
The world's many promises of happiness can cause us to live in the darkness of our heart and be content with the many distractions that surround us each day. But God calls us to allow his light to shine within and be alert as we look carefully to recognize the signs of radiance that are all around us as well.
Effort is needed to continually make the choice to reject darkness and turn to light.
Chiara Lubich wrote, “The Christian cannot escape from the world and hide or consider religion to be a private affair. He or she lives in the world because each person has a responsibility, a mission, to be the light that illuminates. You, too, have this task, and if you do not do this, your ineffectiveness is like salt that has lost its flavor or light that has become shadow.” [i] [...] “The task of all Christians is, therefore, to let this light shine through them and be the 'sign' of this presence of God among all people."[ii]
You are all children of light and children of the day; we do not belong to the night, nor to darkness.
God is light and can be found by those who seek him with a sincere heart. No matter what happens, we will never be separated from his love because we are his children. If we are sure of this we will not be surprised or crushed by upsetting events.
Darkness can never overwhelm those who choose to live in the light, they will generate light. For Christians, this means a life with Christ in our midst, a presence that makes it possible to catch a glimpse of life that restores hope and allows us to continue to dwell in God's love.
This year's earthquake in Turkey and Syria, claimed more than 50,000 victims and turned the lives of millions of people upside down. Those who survived the catastrophe found that entire communities there and in other countries have been points of light that worked to bring immediate aid and provide relief to those who have lost loved ones, homes ... everything.
Edited by Patrizia Mazzola and the Word of Life team.
[i] Cf Matt. 5:13-16
[ii] C. Lubich, Word of Life Aug. ‘79