Sin, grace, darkness, light are inextricably connected
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Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.
By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor
A reflection on the daily readings, for the Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs, by Father Perry.
+ “I can’t find anything! I can’t see, it’s too dark! Would someone turn on the light?!”
We have all said this. We have all heard this. We know what it means not to be able to see or see clearly.
Faith and the word of God, and believing in something — anything — can bring about that light in our lives.
And just as real as the light that comes through a bulb or from the sun is the lightthat comes from the Son.
Call it metaphorical, if you will, but better to call it the supernatural light that flows from God and is God.
The darkness is sin; and worse, our own ignorance of our own sin.
Simply failing or refusing to admit that we are sinners — that we sin, that we often choose darkness, and that we often blame others for our sin — is the ignorance that will prevent us from seeing the light, desiring the light, being filled with the light and sharing that light with others.
Herod‘s massacre of the baby boys 2 years and younger in Bethlehem is a sad and astounding example of the darkness that comes from within — sin!
These young martyrs are recognized in prayer and liturgy just three days after we celebrate the birth of eternal light into the world in the celebration of Christmas.
And let it not be lost on us. Sin and grace, darkness and light — these are inextricably connected.
They are the very core of our human existence. In fact, one could say that the main reason that the word had to enter the world in human form was to bring the divine into that human form as well.
Salvation, or being saved by light from our inner darkness, could only happen from the “inside out”; someone simply had to enter into us to bring out of us again light and grace, that if only for a moment here and a moment there has shattered our darkness and brought us “back to life” and “back to light” — eternal light!
Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.
