Daily Reflection – 4/10/2022
Sacred Scripture
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God. (John 3:16-21)
Reflection
For the majority of people, the most remembered verse in scripture is John 3:16. It speaks to all of us of the greatest love that we have ever known.
But against that portrait of love which is the light of Christ, there is also a sobering but painfully accurate reminder that some people prefer the dark to the light. If there is any doubt about that, all one needs to do is look around the world today and you can see hell’s waiting room.
The fact that the darkness of evil is so front and center all the time should offer us a certain warning about our fallen human nature. We tend to be drawn into mud and too often we are all too happy there.
That thought has always been difficult for me to reconcile when I reflect on His perfect love which came into this world for you and me. A true lover gives the best he has to offer and everything he has for the beloved. God proved his love for us by giving us the best he had to offer — his only begotten Son who freely gave himself as an offering to God for our sake and as the atoning sacrifice for our sin and the sin of the world. It is not an excluding love for just a few or for a single nation, but a redemptive love that embraces the whole world, and a personal love for each and every individual whom God has created.
St. Augustine wrote that God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us to love. Isn’t that a beautiful thought?
The words of today’s scripture are so beautiful and give us so much hope. We must remember that even though we can adjust and live of this world, it is not what we were meant for. Jesus shows us the paradox of love and judgment. We can love the darkness of sin and unbelief or we can love the light of God’s truth, beauty, and goodness. If our love is guided by what is true, and good and beautiful then we will choose for God and love him above all else.
We were meant to be of the light of Christ and only live in this world. God created us for more, He created us to live in the light. Today, let us reflect on the words from John’s gospel: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16)
Prayer of The Day
“Lord, help me to live in the light. Help me to keep my eyes firmly focused upon the glory of Your Resurrection. May the joy of that gaze keep me from the countless distractions of evil all around me. Jesus, I trust in You.“
Daily Note
As a follower of Christ, we are called to keep our eyes on Him and on Him alone. We are called to penetrate the darkness with our faith and to let our whole being be attracted to and drawn toward Christ Jesus.
Reflect, today, upon that which you are drawn toward the most. Move your eyes from the temptation to become drawn in and fascinated by the evil around us, to the joyful vision of our Resurrected Lord alive and at work all around us. Let this Light guide your daily life.
