9781644135945

The Light of the World
spiritual dryness and an enduring emptiness. “One encounters scarcely a single person,” says
St. John of the Cross, “who escapes this tyranny of the senses.”
Such souls barely scratch the surface of life; superficiality rules their life of prayer, their
work, and their fulfillment of the duties of their state of life. They cannot rise to God, for they
are bound to earth by fetters of superficiality. They can never look into the depths, because
their attention is always distracted by trivialities. They are warped and become such slaves of
minor details that their condition is often ridiculous. They are cast about from side to side, and
become continually weaker. They multiply their prayers, increase their efforts and their spiritual
exercises; but all this serves merely to dissipate their strength and squander their energy. They
have “an appearance indeed of godliness, but deny the power thereof.” Such miserable, unfruitful
souls have built their spiritual edifice on feelings and emotions rather than on the spirit and the
firm foundation of faith. Since they live without having fixed their gaze on God and His love,
since they neglect His providence and His will, there is no depth to their piety, no strength
or security or stability in their souls. “Blessed are they that have not seen and have believed.”
“This is the victory which overcometh the world, our faith” (Epistle). The spirit of faith makes
us consider everything we encounter in the light of God and His divine providence. It makes
us accept everything as coming from His eternal solicitude and by His divine appointment.
Faith gives us enlightenment, solidity, understanding, and peace. “Blessed are they that . . .
have believed.”
That new life which we received at Easter (that is, when we were baptized), we should
strive to increase daily through the celebration of Mass and the devout reception of Holy
Communion. We may enrich our spiritual life further by holy reading and the practice of other
spiritual exercises. Even when we have done these things, we shall yet remain far from our goal,
which is to live entirely by faith. Only when we have reached that goal will we be able to truly
celebrate “the paschal solemnity” (Collect).
Prayer
Grant, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that we who have celebrated the paschal solemnity,
may by Thy bounty show forth its effects in our life and conduct. Through Christ our
Lord. Amen.
Second Sunday after Easter
The Mass
Since the joyful return of the alleluia in the Mass of Holy Saturday, we have been celebrating the
Easter season (tempus paschale). It is a period in which the Church rejoices in the resurrection
and ascension of Christ, and in the perfect redemption consummated by the descent of the Holy
Ghost. In this holy season we consider ourselves as having risen with Christ. We are redeemed,
freed from all sin and from all earthly servitude. “Therefore, if you be risen with Christ, seek the
things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Mind the things that are
above, not the things that are upon the earth” (Col 3:1 f.).
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