TODAY’S WORD…

Jesus said, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is unclouded, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If the light in you is darkness, how dark it will be!”

– Matthew 6:22-23

REFLECTION…

This “eye“, this “lamp”, is the motivation behind our behaviour. If what motivates us is to love and honour God, then we welcome His glorious, cleansing and uplifting light, and we allow it to fill every corner of our heart. But when we succumb to malignant passions or lusts, we are closing out the light, preferring the cover of darkness.

We may convince ourselves that we can still see in the dark…but the terrible risk is that the darkness will be overpowering and will take over our soul completely.

QUOTE…

“The eye He [Jesus] speaks of is not the external but the internal eye. The light is the understanding, through which the soul sees God. He whose heart is turned to God, has an eye full of light; that is, his understanding is pure, not distorted by the influence of worldly lusts. The darkness in us is our bodily senses, which always desire the things that pertain to darkness.” – St. John Chrysostom

““If then the light in you is darkness, how dark it will be!” that is, if the senses which are the soul’s light be darkened by vice, in how great darkness do you suppose the darkness itself will be wrapped?” – St. Jerome

PRAYER…

Lord Jesus, Light of the world,

I worship You,

I want You,

I need You.

Lord, place inside me

the fear of spiritual and moral darkness.

Lord, help me choose

to always live in Your glorious light

and to discern the lure of darkness

and fear its overwhelming menace.

Light of the world,

I reach out for You with a great yearning.

Come Jesus, and shine on me!

Amen.