Reflections of a beloved son

  “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil.” Psalm 23:4a Wednesday of the First Week of Advent For an audio version, click here . As winter approaches, the days get shorter, and the sky turns dark earlier. Sometimes the darkness and coldness of winter may put us in a sad mood or even make us think about some of the things we have been working so hard to avoid, ignore, and hide from. Sometimes some parts of our past we are ashamed of creep into our minds and it makes us question ourselves, our identity, our present, and our worth. It is at those times when the enemy capitalizes on our vulnerabilities and try to make us turn to him and move away from God. The Enemy will try to feed the lie that because of those past moments of weakness and shame that we do not deserve happiness or joy and that God does not love us because of our past and we should be too shameful to go to God. But that is the exact opposite of what God wants and what we should do....

We may be living in dark times, whether as a nation during these times of pandemic our within our own personal lives. There is no darkness too dark for Our Lord to illumine. "Those who walk in darkness have seen a great light." If you close your eyes and look closely you will see a light. Allow Our Lord to guide you and walk with you during these difficult times and trying moments of your life. When you see that light, you see Our Lord, and when you see Our Lord, you are seeing the Father Himself. Know that you are loved. Do not remain in the darkness. You belong to the light. Take that step towards the Light.

" When the days were completed for the purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord just as it is written in the law of the Lord " (Lk. 2:22-23a).  On February 2nd, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord .  Mary and Joseph carried and brought Jesus to the Temple. Later on, the twelve year old Jesus would stay back in the Temple after Passover where He famously said to Mary, " Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"   The Temple would also be where Jesus drove the money changers away and foretold His Resurrection saying " Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up ."  At the Presentation the righteous man Simeon was patiently waiting for Jesus, the "consolation of Israel," the "Christ of the Lord."  When he saw Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus in, Simeon took Jesus in his arms and ble...

" The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone " (Is. 9:1). These words of the Prophet Isaiah were read at the Mass during the night for Christmas.  That is the promise of Christmas - a light that shatters the darkness, the Light that leads us to the Father.  This light can never be extinguished.  People are living in darkness today.  We prefer darkness over light because in the darkness we do not need to face ourselves and others.  But to live in darkness is to live without truth, and we know that the Truth is what sets us free.  Hence, to live in darkness is to live in bondage and slavery.  The Good News is that in the fullness of time the Word was made flesh and this Word was the light.  Jesus is Our Light.  Jesus is our Light that illumines our darkness.  Jesus is the Light that frees and liberates us from our bondage and slavery to sin.  On Christm...