9781644135945

The Light of the World
“The Lord shall come to save the Gentiles.” Christ is the Savior of the people of Israel.
To them was the promise made that from their seed would be born the Savior of the world.
They had a right to the Savior. “But the Gentiles are to glorify God for His mercy” (Epistle).
The Gentiles had no claim to the promise made to the patriarchs, nor were they included in
the covenant made with Abraham. They could not claim the law of Moses, and no promise of
redemption had been specifically made to them. They did not belong to the chosen people, but
were strangers and had no claim to the Redeemer. Nevertheless He has come to redeem them
and us, and for this very reason we should rejoice the more in His mercy. The Gentiles give
glory to God because of the mercy He has shown them. And I also “rejoiced at the things that
were said to me: we shall go into the house of the Lord” (Alleluia verse). We rejoice because
we, too, are now called to membership in the Jerusalem of the New Covenant, and we are made
members of the mystical body of Christ.
“People of Sion, behold the Lord shall come to save the Gentiles.” God willed to have all men
saved, and “to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tm 2:4). In His love God included even the
Gentiles. “God is charity. By this hath the charity of God appeared toward us, because God hath
sent His only-begotten Son into the world that we may live by Him. In this is charity; not as though
we had loved God, but because He hath first loved us, and sent His Son to be a propitiation for our
sins” (1 Jn 4:8–10). We have good reason to praise God and thank Him for His mercy. But this
praise should not be merely a lip service, but rather a continual praise of God by the preservation
of the purity of life which we were given at baptism. “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and
peace in believing; that you may abound in hope and in the power of the Holy Ghost” (Epistle).
“God shall come manifestly” (Gradual). The Lord has come to reign in the kingdom of His
Church, and here He will relive His life. Whoever wishes to share His life must participate in
the sacramental life of the Church. “We shall go into the house of the Lord.” During Advent our
participation in the life of the Church must become deeper and more active, “that with one mind
and with one mouth you may glorify God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Epistle).
We must unite ourselves to the Church in faith, in hope, in love, and in sacrifice. Only when we
are united in the bonds of love with our brethren in Christ, can we make a perfect oblation to
God. When we have accomplished such a union with God, we can honor the Father perfectly
and obtain the joy which He has promised us in the celebration of Christmas on earth, and in
the possession of the eternal Christmas in heaven.
God sent His only-begotten Son into the world that we might have life through Him. “In
Him was life, and the life was the light of men” ( Jn 1:4). He came and gave even to the Gentiles
“the power to become the sons of God.” From His fullness we have all received. In giving us this
divine life, God bestowed upon us a treasure that surpasses all understanding. In comparison,
the life we enjoyed heretofore is little better than death. “We know that we have passed from
death to life” (1 Jn 3:14). Let us walk in the newness of life as children of God, sharing the life
of the divinity. It is possible for us to share in the life of God by reason of our membership in
the Church. Let us show great reverence for that life. “Arise, O Jerusalem, and stand on high;
and behold the joy that cometh to thee from thy God” (Communion).
This new life that is promised to us has already begun. Whoever as a member of the Church
possesses Christ, enjoys this life. Such a soul will enjoy this life in all its splendor and fullness
when Christ comes to judgment on the last day. The Church longs for the arrival of that day.
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