There once was a blind man who sat on the side of the road on a dark night with a bright lantern near his crossed legs. A person passing by, not knowing what use a blind person would find for a lantern, stopped and asked: “Why do you keep a lantern burning beside you when you cannot
see?”

Without hesitation he replied, “I do it so that others will not stumble [over me] and injure themselves.”

The moral of the story is that the light we carry as God’s messengers is not only for our direction but for the direction of others. John’s Advent Gospel announces that the Light that was Coming into the world would become the Light of all people. He was referring to the Christ Jesus, whose coming in Advent we are again to be preparing for… preparing ourselves, but not only ourselves… preparing also the world and others.

In what ways do we make that Light shine for others through our lives?

How do we light the path to God, for others to follow?

For whom might I light that path this Advent?

Baptized, like you, to SHINE!