“… your light shall break forth like the dawn …” (Isaiah 58:8).
These words from the prophet Isaiah are about 3,000 years old. That is a long time. God does incredible things with time. And with light.
Light is God’s first miracle: “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3). And every miracle thereafter bears a relation to light in some manner. And so, our search for God, for the signs of His presence, means looking for the glimmer. It is a glimmer not because God is weak or shy.
Quite the opposite.
It is a glimmer because that is all we can take at first. And God respects our capacity to receive signs of His presence. If it were more, it would overwhelm us. Don’t be upset at only a glimmer glistening through. And when it is more it won’t look like our expectations, our wishes, or our insistences. Because it takes humility to see humility. And humility is measureless.
The above verse from Isaiah, “light shall break forth” can also be translated from the original Hebrew as, “the bright illumination will ripen in such a way that it tears through the darkness.”
It is important to give space to light in our lives. We are so busy. We have an endless array of errands to run, we go from the store, to practice, to an appointment. We have relatives to care for as our job pulls us into odd long hours. And then there are conflicts, or worse yet, avoided conflicts. It is often one thing after another.
Take time for light. Glance at the glimmer. Let it glisten. Don’t let light become another task.
Of course, light is ultimately prayer.
Take time to pray. We can often think that prayer is just saying the words. Words are important. Let prayer start with words such as the Our Father or the Hail Mary. Then wait. Let prayer be more than words. Let prayer consume some time just as a flame consumes the wax of a candle and gives forth light that tears through the darkness, not in violence, but with humility.
Because we have so much to do, it is even more important that we give time to God – extended time. And God, over time, will transform our prayer into something. He will, without our knowing it, turn it into light.
And watch slowly, gently … as God turns time into light. It is His favorite daily miracle.
God bless,
Msgr. Bransfield
