Let some light, and kindness, in through the darkness

Leonard Cohen, a noted musician, in 2008 stated to his audience at a concert, “We’re so privileged to gather in moments like this when so much of the world is plunged in darkness and chaos.”

Then he sang his wellknown song, “Anthem,” with its powerful refrain: “There is a crack in everything. … That’s how the light gets in.”

Our Gospel this week from St. Mark gives us one of the chief Advent Characters in John the Baptist, who invites us to make straight the Lord’s path. It would be impossible to make a straight path in the dark, but we can make straight paths in the light! Even if we can only bring a glimmer of light through our crack, it is important to do so! What interior work within yourself do you need to do to straighten out a few rocky paths or relationships, and let the good light in?

We ask the Lord for His kindness in the Responsorial Psalm. Are we willing to allow some of that kindness to show through our words and actions in the coming week? There’s the difficult relative, neighbor or co-worker we have not spoken to in months. Perhaps we are grateful that we have not done the damage of reaction or retaliation; but we need to try and put positive light on this person and push ourselves to be a peace maker. It may mean looking for a new crack of entrance, or a crack called forgiveness and understanding within us, to share the Advent Light.

Repent and ask for forgiveness from this person or in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and let the new light of peace and love come through the cracks of your life!

It is interesting that John the Baptist is our chief character in the Scriptures, calling us to repent, forgive and straighten out the paths of our life. Yet, John the Baptist died for exposing the sins of others. Jesus died to actually pay for the sins of others!

John was great, but our model is Christ. So let’s stop telling the world how their sins are and let’s start sharing the light and love of the Father, in word and deed with one another.

Don’t just light two candles on your Advent wreath this week. Place some candles about the house, and as you reach out to mend and heal personal cracks and relationships, light the Candle of Peace! Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, states that we all must be missionary minded in word and deed, and not live for self, but to go forth and do good. We all are to go forth and live Gospel Values in our own way — and be, even in a little way, the light of Christ through the cracks of life!

Advent is the Season to prepare in a special way for the Emmanuel; the God with-us. Slow Down and carry the light of love, forgiveness and the example of Jesus the Emmanuel into the cracks about you. We are all in such a rush driving so fast and having so much to do that we often live these days as if life was a high speed chase. Our readings this week desire that we do some highway maintenance both within and through our actions, to prepare our soul for the clearing it needs to accept the Christmas Child and to bring some light and healing to our dark world! Get new eyes and a new heart today. Think about this story.

A young girl shouted from the train window to her mom, “Look, Mom the trees are going behind.”

A couple sitting nearby watched the childish behavior with pity, and when the girl yelled to her mom again, “Mom, the clouds are running with us!”, the woman looked at the mother and said, “Please, take you daughter to a good doctor.”

The mom smiled and said, “Oh, we just came from a hospital stay and my daughter was blind from birth and she got her eyes today.”

How big a crack do you think that couple looked to jump into?