Jesus, Our Light

St. Bonaventure reflects on the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the meaning of the blood and water flowing from the side of Christ crucified (John 19:34), the living water of sacramental grace coming from the loving heart of the Savior. He reflects especially on several lines of Psalm 36, used in the office of the feast : “Your love, Lord, reaches to heaven, your truth to the skies . . . In you is the source of life and in your light we see light.”

Lead Kindly Light by Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Lead, Kindly Light, amidst th’encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on.
O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile!

Meantime, along the narrow rugged path,
Thyself hast trod,
Lead, Saviour, lead me home in childlike faith,
Home to my God.
To rest forever after earthly strife
In the calm light of everlasting life

Let us calm our body and Pray:

Leader: Dear Lord, Let us be like St. Bonaventure and see you as the light. The light of creation and the light of our redemption. We look to you to be our light Lord as you guide us as we travel safely to our heavenly home. Jesus shine on each of us, even in the dark corners of ourselves that need healing from wounds or of sin. In Psalm 27:1 we are told by the psalmist “the Lord is my light and my salvation”.

The Angelus Prayer:

Leader: The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: 
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

All: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Leader: Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

All: Hail Mary…

Leader: And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

All: Hail Mary…

Leader: Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen. 
 ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you’ (Lk 1: 28)

‘Blessed are you among women, 
and blessed is the fruit of your womb’
(Lk 1: 42).

Reflection

Let us reflect on Jesus our Light.

In Psalm 27:1 we are told by the psalmist “the Lord is my light and my salvation”. And the prophet said the Lord shall be your light forever.” Isaiah 60:19. Light stood for the glory of God.  John 8:12: Jesus said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”  These words imply Jesus was God as well as the Messiah. Jesus repeated this claim before he healed the blind man (John 9:5)

The Pope tells us: “Don’t be afraid!” he exclaimed. “Let us open ourselves to the Lord. He always waits for us. He always waits for us, to make us better, to give us light, to forgive us. Don’t forget that! He’s always waiting for us.” (March 28, 2014)

At this time Pope Francis was suggesting that we should be more like the blind man. The path of the blind man is a “journey in stages, starting from the knowledge of the name of Jesus,” said Pope Francis.

After being healed by Jesus, the man considers him first a “prophet,” then a “man close to God.” Only after he is excluded from the temple and has a second encounter with Jesus does he recognize him as the Messiah. He suggests that for many people we have moments of interior blindness. We should remember at baptism we are “illuminated” with Christ. Through our baptism, “we can carry ourselves as ‘sons of the light,’ with humility, patience, mercy.”

Jesus is the light that shines on the world.

We pray that each of us will see Jesus our light and ask for Him to guide us to our heavenly home. Amen