The Light That Divides and Heals

Voice over by Eliz

1Jn 2:3-11; Psalm: 95; Lk 2:22-35

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, in these sacred days of Christmas, the Church invites us to move from the wonder of the Nativity to its demanding implications for our lives. The Word of God today presents a stark and beautiful truth: our encounter with Christ is not meant to be a private comfort, but a transformative light that reveals the state of our hearts and compels us to love.

In his first letter, Saint John cuts to the heart of discipleship with crystalline clarity: “The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments.” For John, “knowing” God is not an intellectual exercise; it is a relational reality that manifests in obedience. He then makes this utterly practical, tying our relationship with God directly to our relationship with others: “Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness.” The commandment is old and new—to love one another. To walk in the light is to love; to refuse to love is to choose darkness. This is the moral test of the Incarnation.

This theme of divine revelation that simultaneously consoles and judges finds its powerful icon in the Gospel. The aged Simeon, “righteous and devout,” led by the Spirit, takes the infant Jesus into his arms. He recognizes in this ordinary child the fulfillment of God’s promise, “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” But this light is not a gentle glow; it is a searing truth that will reveal the inner thoughts of many hearts. He then turns to Mary and delivers a prophecy of coming sorrow: “a sword will pierce your own soul too.” The light that brings salvation to the world will also bring a piercing division, even within the Holy Family itself.

The Christ Child, the true Light of the World, illuminates the path of authentic love, as described by John. He reveals that our love for God is a fiction if it does not issue in concrete love for our neighbor. As the great Saint Augustine prayed, “In loving me, you made me lovable.” The light of Christ makes our inner darkness visible—our resentments, our prejudices, our failure to love—so that they may be healed. Simeon’s prophecy reminds us that following this Light will inevitably involve the “sword” of difficult choices and the pain of a love that sacrifices.

The comfort for us is that this light is not meant to condemn us, but to guide us to salvation. The challenge is to allow it to penetrate our hearts. Do we claim to “know” God while harboring hatred or indifference toward a family member, a colleague, or a group of people? The Christmas season, which calls for peace and goodwill, is the perfect time to examine our hearts in this light.

Let us ask for the intercession of the Blessed Mother, whose soul was pierced by the sword of sorrow. May she obtain for us the grace to welcome the Light of Christ, not as a vague sentiment, but as a demanding love that transforms our darkness and moves our feet to walk in His ways. For whoever loves his brother remains in the light. Amen.