21st December - O Rising Sun
O Rising Sun. You are the splendour of Eternal Light and the Sun of Justice.
O come and enlighten those who sit in darkness, those who dwell in the shadows of death.
At this time of year, and today as the shortest day of the year, it is wonderful how the Church puts on our lips this antiphon where we call on the Light of Christ to come and enlighten our darkness. My prayer during this Advent season is asking for the grace to acknowledge the times when we prefer darkness before true light, as the intercessions for Week One of Advent 
put it. St Paul tells us: ‘once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, walk as children of light.' He encourages us to walk because if we are not moving forward then we are not growing and may be going backwards. We are not being what we are meant to be. In V.D.Q Pope Francis calls on us to be ‘beacons of light’ for a darkened world. We do not always feel that we can be genuine beacons of light when we know that we are broken people in great need of God’s mercy.
put it. St Paul tells us: ‘once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, walk as children of light.' He encourages us to walk because if we are not moving forward then we are not growing and may be going backwards. We are not being what we are meant to be. In V.D.Q Pope Francis calls on us to be ‘beacons of light’ for a darkened world. We do not always feel that we can be genuine beacons of light when we know that we are broken people in great need of God’s mercy.For us, for me, as I’m trying to walk with God daily, it is in blind faith that I walk. Sometimes in darkness it is hard to see. But Pope Francis urges us to ‘be torches to guide men and women along their journey through the dark night of time, to be sentinels of the morning heralding the dawn.’ As we watch the sun rise at dawn we notice that the darkness is gradually dispelled because darkness and light cannot co-exist. The light of Christ overtakes the darkness. Christ who is the Light, dispels the darkness of sin in our hearts. As our lives are transfigured by the light of Christ we begin to shine some of that light on those around us.
We have Mary’s example – when she responded ‘be it done unto me according to your Word’ and received the true Light in her womb, she did not keep it to herself but set out in haste to visit Elizabeth. St Ambrose says that 'Elizabeth was the first to hear the voice but John was the first to experience Grace.' In the Prologue of St John’s Gospel we read 'from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.’ The Catechism of the Catholic Church says 'Christ, who has the fulness of the Holy Spirit bestows upon those who receive him the grace necessary for sanctification and salvation.' Even from his mother’s womb, Christ is accomplishing this for all humanity.
I liked the way Fr Colm (during our Advent Retreat this year) linked contemplation of the birth of Christ with contemplation of the Crucified Christ. It seems to fit a prayer to St Catherine which I say daily: ‘Start being brave about everything, drive out darkness and spread light. Don’t look at your weaknesses. Realise instead that in Christ Crucified, you can do everything.'
O Rising Sun. You are the splendour of Eternal Light and the Sun of Justice.
O come and enlighten those who sit in darkness, those who dwell in the shadows of death.
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