Church of St. Matthew

A visible expression of God's love

  • Home
  • Mission & News
    • Parish Bulletins & Inserts
    • Staff & Programs
    • Parish Pastoral Council
    • Volunteer Opportunities & Parish Needs
    • Liturgical Ministry
    • Music Ministry
    • Funeral Ministry Opportunities
    • Facility Rental
    • Fall Festival
    • Parish History
      • Our History
      • Fr. Steve Homilies
      • West Side Paintings
      • 50th Anniversary of 1968 Church Fire
      • 50th Anniversary of Our Church Building
    • Men’s Club
    • Rosary Society
      • Funeral Ministry Opportunities
    • Serving Our Neighbor
      • Casa Guadalupana
      • Loaves and Fishes
      • St. Mary’s Health Clinic
  • Worship
    • Mass Times & Reconciliation
    • Worship Online
      • Online Mass videos
    • Funeral Planning and Liturgies
  • Faith & Learning
    • Sacrament of Baptism
    • Faith Formation
    • Community of Saints School: Pre-K through 8
  • Alums-Family-Friends
    • About Alums & Family & Friends (AFF)
    • AFF Committee
    • The Good News newsletter
    • How to Give to Community of Saints School
    • Alums Scholarship Fund
    • Scrip Fundraising
    • Missing Alums List
    • Class Reunions
  • Blog
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
    • Job Opportunities
You are here: Home / Messages from Fr. Bob / Light and Life! (Fr. Bob reflection)

Light and Life! (Fr. Bob reflection)

Published March 6, 2018

During our lives all of us experience some kind of temporary darkness.  As infants, our parents likely pulled a blanket over our heads to protect us from the wind and cold. During winter blizzards in Minnesota, it is not uncommon for neighborhoods and rural homes to be plunged into darkness for a moment, for hours, or for days at a time. As drivers, we enter a highway tunnel and darkness surrounds us until our car lights turn on.  As people who live with family and in community, we tiptoe in the darkness until the sun rises so that others can sleep.  

It then should come as no surprise to us that images of darkness and light appear again and again throughout the scriptures as well as our religious tradition. The first thing that we read in the Jewish scriptures is that, “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland and darkness covered the abyss. . . ” (Gen. 1:1-2).  The very first action of God was to say, “‘Let there be light’; and there was light and God saw how good the light was” (Gen. 1:3-4).

In our Christian tradition we follow ancient Jewish religious practices. Lit candles and burning oil lamps are used to show that God is with us. The early Jews called God’s presence the “Shekinah”. This word means where God is dwelling, settling or where God’s divine presence is manifested.  This glory is seen when God’s glory filled the temple and even in the wilderness where God was a light during the night and the Shekinah cloud of his glory shaded Israel in the scorching sun of the desert.  God’s presence was manifested by the intense light that filled the tabernacle, the temple in Jerusalem and even in the Transfiguration where Jesus shone brighter than the sun when he spoke with Moses and with Elijah as Peter, James and John looked on.

There is a Jewish story that the pagan Emperor Hadrian said to Rabbi Joshua, “I desire greatly to see your God.” Rabbi Joshua asked him to stand facing the brilliant summer sun, and said, “Gaze upon it.” The emperor said, “I cannot, it is too bright.” “Then,” said Rabbi Joshua, “If you are not able to look upon the sun, a servant of God, how much less may you gaze upon the Shekinah?”

The gospel according to John uses the metaphor of light to describe both God the Father as light and Jesus the son of God as light to teach the Johannine community that they themselves should shine as light on hilltops and not hide their faith in God temporarily under bushel baskets out of fear. In today’s gospel, Jesus tells Nicodemus, who comes to him in the dark of night, that whoever lives the truth lives in light.

We know that there can be no life without light. In Jesus we all are given a brilliant light a new life, a distinctive way of experiencing the world. It is like the disciples at Emmaus when they saw Jesus in the scriptures and the breaking of the bread. We perceive our world and give meaning to the world through the new light of faith in Jesus Christ. I believe it can best be described using a story.

“The cave heard a voice calling to it: ‘Come up into the light… come and see the sunshine.’ The cave replied: ‘I don’t know what you mean; there isn’t anything here but darkness.’  Finally the cave ventured forth and was surprised to see light all around. Looking up to the sun, the cave said: ‘Come with me and see my darkness.’ The sun agreed and entered the cave….’Now show me your darkness!’ But there was no darkness.”

Today’s gospel calls us to go into the light and to invite new life to come into our world. “For God so loved the world that God gave the only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).

Fr. Bob Kelly

Photo of moon by Richard Schletty

  • Share this page to Facebook
  • Share this page to Twitter

Filed Under: Messages from Fr. Bob. Posted by Fr. Bob Kelly

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Twitter

Parish Bulletins

Download bulletins and inserts

Online Mass Videos

Online Masses as individual posts

Recent Blog Posts

Volunteer Opportunities and Parish Needs for the week of 5-29-2022

Parish Administrator’s Note – May 29, 2022

Reflection from Father Steve – May 29, 2022

Sacrament of First Communion, May 2022

New liturgical ministry schedule: June 4 – Sept 4, 2022

Volunteer Opportunities and Parish Needs for the week of 5-22-2022

Parish Administrator’s Note – May 22, 2022

Reflection from Father Steve – May 22, 2022

Faith Formation news: May 15, 2022

Parish Administrator’s Note – May 15, 2022

Reflection from Father Steve – May 15, 2022

Volunteer Opportunities and Parish Needs for the week of 5-15-2022

Volunteer Opportunities and Parish Needs for the week of 5-8-2022

Men’s Club News May 2022

The WolfGang Concert: 7 pm, Sunday, May 22, 2022

New ministry schedule: send your availablity

Volunteer Opportunities and Parish Needs for the week of 5-1-2022

Volunteer Opportunities and Parish Needs for the week of 4-24-2022

Spring Cleaning on Saturday, May 7, 2022

Volunteer Opportunities and Parish Needs for the week of 4-17-2022

Faith Formation news: Confirmation class receives sacrament on April 9, 2022

April 12: Pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary

Men’s Club News April 2022

Lenten Fish Fries 2022: Indoor dining option on April 8 and 15!

See all blog posts

Blog Categories

  • Advent and Christmas
  • Alums & Family & Friends
  • Catholic Leadership
  • Class Reunions
  • Community of Saints School
  • Community Service
  • Faith Formation
  • Fall Festival
  • Fr. Steve's Reflections
  • Free food
  • Fundraising
  • General News
  • Gospel Readings
  • History
  • Homilies Weekly
  • Job Fair
  • Lent and Easter
  • Liturgical Ministry
  • Maintenance and repair
  • Memorials and Dedications
  • Men's Club
  • Messages from Fr. Bob
  • Music
  • Parish Pastoral Council
  • Pastoral Ministry
  • Prayer and Adoration
  • Reflection
  • Rosary Society
  • Sacraments
  • Scouts
  • The Good News newsletter
  • Vocations/Religious Life
  • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Worship
  • Youth Ministry

Site development and design by Schletty Design
Contact if you have trouble using this website or have suggestions for improving it.