From Darkness to Light

The lighting of the Advent wreath has always been my favorite liturgical tradition. I have distinct memories of the excitement that came from the yearly arrival of the simple evergreen wreaths with purple and pink taper candles that adorned the small prayer tables in each classroom of my Catholic elementary school. Now I am able to witness my own kids’ delight when we light the candles of our wreath at dinnertime and progressively add another flame each week. I love how the wreath not only adds a special atmosphere to our celebration of the season but also is a symbolic reminder of Advent’s movement from darkness to light.

Today’s Gospel passage represents this same movement as Jesus heals two blind men. As is characteristic of many of the healing accounts in Jesus’ public ministry, the two men are granted a cure because of their faith. More specifically, this faith was first grounded in an utter reliance on Jesus for help and healing. They literally pursued Jesus, crying out for restoration of their sight. Subsequently they also expressed their belief in Jesus’ healing power, boldly proclaiming “Yes, Lord” to Jesus’ question: “Do believe that I can do this?” Because of their conviction, their eyes were opened.

We all struggle with blindness in our own lives, as we all experience brokenness in our relationships, whether with family, friends, God, or ourselves. While our blindness may initially be an inability to recognize the wounds in our relationships, we can remain in the dark regarding how these relationships can possibly be healed. The reality is that we are not able to do so ourselves. This is why God took on human form, as St. Athanasius asserts in On the Incarnation that Jesus came “to heal and teach those who were suffering.” Our preparation for celebrating the gift of the Incarnation at Christmas is therefore marked by an awareness that God desires to free us from anything that keeps us in darkness and prevents us from walking in the light of Christ.

Following the example of the blind men in the Gospel, our path to restoration must begin by recognizing our need for God, followed by believing that God can in fact heal us. The holiday season in particular can highlight the brokenness in many of our relationships and cause us to doubt if change is possible. But as St. Paul exhorts in his letter to the Ephesians, God “is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20).

I invite you to spend some time in prayer today asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the relationships in your life that God wants to bring healing to this Advent. Consider the ways God is calling you to cooperate with his power working within you. Then ask for the grace to boldly call on Christ to open your eyes and guide you in the light of His ways.

Author: Danielle Bianchi, Theology Department