The gospel tells us that Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. Jesus challenged him to open himself to the light. A little poem by the Jesuit priest John Foley may capture the message of Jesus that “the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light.” (Lord, help me to open more and more of myself to Your light.)
Once there was a city built in the sunlight.
Warmth and laughter abounded.
Memories of day would remain every night
until the sun could return.
Fear one morning said light is too bright.
Too much truth can be seen.
How can we seem what we say we are
if light the intruder is here?
So walls went up and a ban on all windows
and nothing of day could remain.
The city said, you have left us, O sun.
In the darkness we have gone blind.
But the sun outside still shed its light,
and its warmth and its laughter and love.
It lightened the walls
and gave warmth to their chill,
while within, the soul bored a hole.
Into it poured a single beam,
a sunlight of laughter and care.
Softly, silently, almost like spring,
love opened and blossomed and grew.

3/14/2012

Msgr. William J. King