Wednesday, December 28, 2011

29th December 2011, Thursday, Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas

1 John 2:3-11 / Luke 2:22-35

We are celebrating the Christmas season, but by this time now, the Christmas decorations may seem a bit stale already and we would be already thinking when will be a good time to take down those decorations, especially those on the Christmas tree.

Nonetheless, if we have the opportunity, then just sit around in the quiet of the night and look at the Christmas decorations.

What will certainly catch our eye and engross us in wonder and imagination is the lights on the decorations, those steady burning and blinking lights.

Lights are a necessary part of the decorations. Yet Christmas is the celebration of light because the prayers in the liturgy have that theme.

Also Christ the true light has come to dispel the darkness of sin and evil.

And as the 1st reading said, if we claim to have seen the light but hate our neighbour, then we are still in the dark.

For the upright and devout Simeon in the gospel, his eyes have seen the light and that gave him the peace that fulfilled his longing.

May we long for the true light that will give us the same peace to reach out and love our neighbours.