Light, Received and Given

A Reflection on the Psalm for Sunday, February 5th, 2023:
The Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Psalm 112

R. Light rises in the darkness for the upright.

Light rises in the darkness for the upright: gracious, merciful and righteous. It is well with the person who deals generously and lends, who conducts their affairs with justice.

R. Light rises in the darkness for the upright.

For the righteous person will never be moved; they will be remembered forever. Unafraid of evil tidings; their heart is firm, secure in the Lord. 

R. Light rises in the darkness for the upright.

That person’s heart is steady and will not be afraid. One who has distributed freely, who has given to the poor, their righteousness endures forever: their name is exalted in honour.

R. Light rises in the darkness for the upright.

Have you ever studied a flame? One of the most universally enjoyed parts of summer evening bonfires is this: eventually, when the conversation becomes quiet, stillness falls over the gathering and everyone can be found watching and being deeply drawn into the flames. The way they spark, fly, and dance is exquisitely beautiful to see. I have noticed that a flame can look completely different depending on how much light there is in the room. When Hurricane Fiona took our power for a few days last fall and I would light a candle in my otherwise pitch-black room, the flame seemed so big and bright. Its brilliance had the strength to illuminate the whole space. But if I look at that same candle lit at mid-day with the sun beaming in through the window behind it, I will find the flame almost looks dimmed in comparison with the brilliance of the sunlight.
Today’s readings can “enlighten” us to the spiritual reality that we catch a glimpse of as we contemplate that candle lit in a dark room, or the dancing flames of a nighttime bonfire. Our psalm today calls the just man “a light in the darkness to the upright.” This psalm is brought to us only a few weeks after the Christmas season, in which we rejoiced to receive Christ, the Light of the World. Shortly we will move into the season of Lent, when we will be encouraged to live out charity more deeply through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Today’s psalm depicts the just man as one who lives this out well: he is generous, gives to the poor lavishly, and is steadfast in his trust of the Lord. “Light shines through the darkness for the upright”: the just one is enlightened by justice itself, and then becomes a light for others.
See with what wisdom and tenderness our Mother, the Church, brings the theme of “light” to our attention once again. It is as if she is gently taking the faithful by the hand after Christmas and nudging them: “Freely you have received; now, freely give!” In receiving Christ the Light and becoming one with Him, we ourselves are filled with His light. And when we are loved by Him and united with Him, we can begin to see the world with His eyes and to love as He loves. In this way, we bear the light we have received from Him to the world. In the midst of the darkness of the world, bogged down with confusion, weakness, and sin, the Lord raises up gleaming lights to lighten the darkness. 
Christ, You are the Light, the beaming morning sunshine that dispels all the darkness. Does the candle shrink back because the sun’s light is brighter? No. So, as long as the nighttime lasts, I will bear proudly and brightly the light that I have been given, all the while waiting with expectant hope for that glorious morning of Your coming.




​Sr. Angela Burnham

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