31 December 2020
The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas
Before we conclude the octave we revisit the mysterious Gospel passage of Christmas morning. In the beginning God said “Let there be light, and there was light” (Genesis 1:3); “but when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman,” (Galatians 4:4) Whose “…life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Just as the light of the past year is flickering at the end of its burnt-out wick, we reflect upon the Light of the World (John 8:12), a Light which even Death could not extinguish. In this Light, in this Child, we see the glory of God; all that was once hidden from us because of our separation from God in sin is now veiled from us only by human flesh. But if “…we walk by faith, not by sight,” (2 Corinthians 5:7) we might see not merely what flesh and blood reveals, but what the eyes of faith see (Matthew 16:17): “the true light, which enlightens everyone…”