The World Prefers Darkness to Light
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.”Ps. 23
We live in an atheistic world that has turned its back on God, and this atheism greatly influences us, both in terms of ideas and in everyday life. As a result, it’s sometimes hard to distinguish believers from non-believers, as they pursue the same earthly values and don’t seem to appreciate or seek heavenly values, apart from sporadic church attendance. This shouldn’t be the case (cf. Mt 20:26).
Let’s think, HOW SHOULD A CHRISTIAN DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES FROM AN ATHEIST? Can we think like those in the faithless world without God? In what should we differentiate ourselves? How can we make the difference visible and noticeable? We must follow Jesus Christ and live His Kingdom; only that is accepting his call.
“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.”John 3:19-20
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Just as Jesus told Peter when giving him the keys to the Kingdom and founding the Church, the powers of hell will not prevail against it.”John 1:5
PEOPLE CHOOSE TO REMAIN IN SPIRITUAL DARKNESS instead of approaching the light of Christ due to ignorance that leads to bad preferences and actions. Jesus is portrayed as the light that came into the world, but some people reject that light because they don’t know Him, don’t love Him, don’t trust Him, and engage in sinful or wicked deeds as a result. THEY REJECTED THE INVITATION TO THE BANQUET, TO THE NEW LIFE OF HIS KINGDOM.
The world without faith and without God influences all of us, which is why we run the risk of seeing sin as normal and expressions of faith as senseless exaggerations, just as faithless people do. Be careful! Let’s always strive to see with God’s eyes and think as God does, as Jesus asked of Peter (Mt 18:22).
To do this, we must know that we are immersed in a pagan world that rejects God, his ways, and his divine revelation. We must acknowledge that because of this, all kinds of immorality and sin exist, even to the point of idolizing it as their golden calf, because they don’t want to seek the true God or think about anything beyond the here and now. They don’t want to know about God because they’ve chosen to go their own way and be their own gods. THIS CANNOT BE THE CASE AMONG US; it is the opposite.
We must live according to the model of Christ, clothed in Him, WITH THE WHITE GARMENT given to us in baptism and the light of faith illuminating our lives, so that we have the freedom of children, as seen in St. Paul: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Readings for the Week
Sunday: Is 25:6-10a/Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 (6cd)/Phil 4:12-14, 19-20/Mt 22:1-14 or 22:1-10
Monday: Rom 1:1-7/Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4/Lk 11:29-32
Tuesday: Rom 1:16-25/Ps 19:2-3, 4-5/Lk 11:37-41
Wednesday: 2 Tm 4:10-17b/Ps 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18/Lk 10:1-9
Thursday: Rom 3:21-30/Ps 130:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6ab/Lk 11:47-54
Friday: Rom 4:1-8/Ps 32:1b-2, 5, 11/Lk 12:1-7
Saturday: Rom 4:13, 16-18/Ps 105:6-7, 8-9, 42-43/Lk 12:8-12
Next Sunday: Is 45:1, 4-6/Ps 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10 (7)/1 Thes 1:1-5b/Mt 22:15-21
Observances for the Week
Sunday: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday: St. Hedwig, Religious; St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin
Tuesday: St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr
Wednesday: St. Luke, Evangelist
Thursday: Sts. John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs
Friday: St. Paul of the Cross, Priest
Next Sunday: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time; World Mission Sunday