A Beacon Of Light… More Gear For Our Journey

By FR. RICHARD D. BRETON JR.

(Editor’s Note: Fr. Richard D. Breton Jr. is a priest of the Diocese of Norwich, Conn. He received his BA in religious studies and his MA in dogmatic theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Conn.)

• + + Let’s begin by praying our retreat prayer once more:
  “Jesus, you invited the apostles to come away with you to a deserted place and rest a while. Like your apostles, enable me to experience you on retreat — your suffering love and tender compassion. May I come to better know myself, to draw closer to you, and to thus be of better service to my brothers and sisters in the Church!
  “Help me to listen attentively, to ponder prayerfully, to respond generously, and to benefit from the solitude and peace. Through the intercession of Mary, Mother of Sorrows, may I and my fellow retreatants leave our retreat as deeply committed Christians, better able to follow your footsteps in all the opportunities and challenges of life. Amen.”
  Now that we have the roadmap in hand for the journey, we need to see where it leads. Whenever we go on a journey we need to be prepared for everything. This preparation includes having a very important part of our gear.
  What is this gear? It is a flashlight. A flashlight is very useful in many situations and should always be available and ready. We recognize the need for flashlights during severe storms when the loss of electricity is possible.
  I am reminded of when Hurricane Sandy hit the New England coast, and how we lost electricity for over a week. Our flashlights were essential gear to have to help us navigate through the darkness of the night.
  As the flashlight illuminates the way through the darkness of night, so too, we have another light that illuminates the path of faith. This other light, the “true light,” is Christ Himself.
  In the beginning of the Book of Genesis we hear about the story of creation and how God transforms the darkness into light:
  “Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. . . .” (Gen. 1:2-4).
  The creation of light in the Old Testament prefigured the coming of the eternal light. This was completed in the moment of the Incarnation as Christ, the “True Light,” came into the world to dispel the darkness of sin and death. Through the Incarnation, man is redeemed and given an opportunity to follow this Divine Light that leads to everlasting life.

Participating In The Reality

It is often hard for us to comprehend the significance of the light, and so, it is often overlooked or even forgotten. For Catholics, light is used symbolically to remind us of our dependence on the Lord. There are two distinct moments in our lives of faith where we participate in the reality.
The first is on the day of our Baptism. In Baptism we are united to Christ who established for us the Sacrament of Baptism to dispel our souls from the darkness of sin and death, renewing them with light and life.
During the Baptismal Rite, there is a special moment where we receive the Light of Christ. Following the pouring of the water and the anointing with Sacred Chrism, the newly baptized receives the white garment as a sign of sharing in the dignity of now being called a child of God.
Immediately following this, a baptismal candle is lit from the Easter Candle, the sign of Christ’s triumph over death to life. As the candle is presented to the parents the following is said:
“Receive the Light of Christ. . . . Parents and godparents, this light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly, so that your child, enlightened by Christ, may walk always as children of the light, and persevering in the faith, may run to meet the Lord when he comes with all the Saints in the heavenly court” (Rite of Baptism, p. 51).
The second moment in which we experience the Light of Christ happens during the culmination of the Church’s Liturgical Year. The culmination of the liturgical year happens with the celebration of the Sacred Triduum, but, specifically on Holy Saturday. The Triduum begins with the celebration of Holy Thursday and continues with the commemoration of the Passion of the Lord on Good Friday. The Triduum reaches its climax with the celebration of the Vigil of Easter.
The Vigil of Easter is filled with visible signs reminding us of the transformation from darkness to light. This is primarily seen in the first moments of the Vigil. This is called the Lucernarium, or service of light, when the fire is blessed, and the Easter Candle is lit. Then as darkness hovers over the entire church, the flickering flame representing the Light of Christ illuminates the darkness, making way for the Resurrection. As the Paschal Candle is carried, all inside the church acclaim the Risen Christ as the light of the world.
In moments of temptation and sin, the Light of Christ transforms our sinfulness to feel the compassion, love, and mercy the light bestows. During this time of our mini-retreat, we should try to make an extra effort to seek out the Sacrament of Penance and confess our sins. This will prepare us to continue our journey of faith knowing that we have the strength needed to continue.
When we feel lonely, sad, and like no one cares, Jesus lights our way and reminds us that He is the Light in the darkness. When we trip and fall, when we fall into temptation and sin — Jesus lights the darkness of sin and forgives us. This feeling of darkness can be dispelled because on our journey we have been given a wonderful gift. The gift of God’s forgiveness in our lives. The gift of God’s mercy and love. The gift of the Sacrament of Penance.
It is the Holy Spirit that you will receive in Confirmation and the gifts of the Spirit that helps us to see the light of Christ in our lives.
We have been given the roadmap for our journey and the light necessary to lead us through the darkness of the world. May we use these tools as we continue our journey of faith!

Salvation’s Light

I would like to close with the opening stanzas of poem regarding the Light of Christ by poet Michael P. Johnson:

Revealing shadows of the night
Dispersing doubtful haze
When Jesus comes Salvation’s Light
Brings faith that will amaze.

The faith to stand, to rise and shine
Move mountains to the sea
Turn normal water into wine
And set the captive free
Yet Light’s not all that Jesus brings
God’s Son is so much more
He is! The Light the bible sings
That leads to Heaven’s door.