The Light in my life

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light - Isaiah (9:1)

I noticed something strange about the flower pots we had ever since we moved into this new residence. There used to array of beautiful flowers on them, but it was all gone and there weren’t any flowers on them. This captured my thoughts and I began pondering on the reason behind it. Then, it struck my mind that those flower plants were not getting sunlight, the basic lifeline of every floral life form. The Holy Spirit was helping me understand the importance of Jesus’s light in my life. The season of lent is a time of test, to understand our rootedness in Christ. Have we allowed the Holy Spirit to mold us so that we may become Christ like? Or have we been stubborn? As the psalmist says, I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Do not be like a horse or mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and birdle, else it will not stay near you. Psalm 32:8-9 Or as Saint Paul says; ‘Are we able to say it is not I but Christ who lives in me? (if we really want an answer to this question, then, the acid test is to ask the people who we live with). There are always areas of improvement.

There is no question that ‘Have we known the Lord?’ because we are people who are trying to walk in the Light. The more we spend time with the Lord, the more rooted in Christ we become (Character wise). Are we praying regularly? Personally to God who loves us so much? Is there PERSONAL PRAYER in life? Do we regularly and reverently receive our Lord Jesus in the Eucharist? Is there eagerness to read and more importantly meditate on the WORD OF GOD. If all this is in place, then the rest will follow.

St John of the Cross made a beautiful statement in one of his books

“... the affection and attachment which the soul has for creatures renders the soul like to these creatures; and the greater is its affection, 
the closer is the equality and likeness between them; for love creates likeness between that which loves and that which is loved he that 
loves a creature becomes as low as that creature, and in some ways lower, for love not only makes the lover equal to the object of his 
love, but even subjects him to it love makes equality and resemblance”

In simple words, the more time we spend adoring someone or something, we are likely to become like them or that thing itself. It is evidently seen in children whose parents spend more time with them. These little ones are more likely to imitate their parents or try and do what is shown, said and done to them by them in every little ways possible. When we spend more time with Jesus, we are more likely to become and act like him. Jesus values the time that we spend with him. Time and willingness is what he uses to undo the changes that have happened in our lives without him. Saints have not become saints overnight but by doing small changes (small pains) in daily life. Lord will guide you and show you that there is always that little extra time that you can spend with the Lord to become more like him and less like ourselves. 1 Timothy 2:20-21.

Now is the time to decide what is it the Lord wants us to surrender in view of the Lenten season. Some things are not going to be easy to surrender after holding on to them for a long time. Even things with the semblance of good, can become our identity which we cannot be without and our good God wants us to have him as our identity.

Prayer

I surrender my life, which you have given me, along with everything in it. I surrender my family, my finances, my home, my occupation, my skills. I surrender everything I have and everything I will have. I surrender what I am and what I will be. All is yours, Lord. I place everything at your feet. Let your Holy will be done in me and in my life.