E SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

EXPLANATION OF ST. JOHN S GOSPEL. 149
5. Darkness means not so much the ignorance
or absence of light from the hearts of men as the
antagonism of the world to the truths of faith.
(Compare St. John Hi. 19.)
" Men loved darkness rather
than the light, for their works were evil." They
pulled down the curtains over the soul they hated
the light.
The darkness did not comprehend it.
The dark
ness did not overtake the light. The meaning is the
darkness did not subdue the light. The sins of men
could not quench the light of Christ, the darkness could
not subdue it, or overcome it. (Compare Wisdom ch. vii.
10, 30 : "I loved her (wisdom) above health and beauty,
and chose to have her instead of light : for her light
cannot be put out. . . . For after this cometh night, but
no evil can overcome wisdom.")
The more common interpretation followed by Father
Knabenbauer in his Commentary on St. John s Gospel,
p. 71, is that wicked men (the darkness) ignoring God
and the way of salvation, refused to accept the light, or
to acknowledge it ; as stated in v. 10, the world (men
whose lives are in opposition to the teaching of our
Lord) knew Him not. But the first explanation is
preferable.
6. The reference is to John the Baptist, appointed
to prepare the way for the coming of Christ. The word
Baptist is never given to John by the author of the
Fourth Gospel.
7. John was the witness appointed by God to testify
to all the Jews that Jesus Christ was the true light, that
the Jews might believe in their Saviour through the
word of John. Remember St. John s description of Jesus
Christ: "Behold the Lamb of God; behold Him who
taketh away the sin of the world." (i. 29.)