Tonight the doorbell rang. I answered it. Out of the darkness came the answer I sought.
Before me stood a homeless man who I'll once again call "Manuel." Suddenly Manuel reassured me, "God sees everything you do. Do not doubt that God knows all the things you are doing. So just keep on doing what you're doing."
Often we can wonder whether we're making a difference, and if so, how much of a difference we're making. We can sink into spiritual desolation if we start to think that we're not accomplishing much.
I find it apropos that it was today that Manuel came and gave me this particular encouragement. Today we celebrate the feast day of Saint John of the Cross, who wrote about how one can journey through spiritual darkness.
We can feel that we are not receiving much spiritual consolation in the midst of our toil. It might seem as if we are laboring without it being clear what we are really doing.
Yet in the midst of this spiritual darkness, a light shines. A light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not put it out.*
After night had fallen tonight, the doorbell here rang. At the door I found a homeless man who presented me with a spiritual candle, lit in the darkness, and bringing to me light through the hope he was urging me to maintain.
Jesus comes to us in those who are poor, in those who are outcast, in those who are the least among us.** Jesus comes to us and encourages us to keep moving forward, even when we are in darkness.
Jesus is the light of the world.*** He shows us the way since He is The Way.****
When we find ourselves in darkness, if we look for the light He is giving to us always, since He is with us always,***** we will see The Way. Even in darkness, we can see Him, and so we can see The Way home to Our Heavenly Father.
* John 1:5
** Matthew 25:40,45
*** John 8:12; 1 John 1:5
**** John 14:6
***** Matthew 28:20
Before me stood a homeless man who I'll once again call "Manuel." Suddenly Manuel reassured me, "God sees everything you do. Do not doubt that God knows all the things you are doing. So just keep on doing what you're doing."
Often we can wonder whether we're making a difference, and if so, how much of a difference we're making. We can sink into spiritual desolation if we start to think that we're not accomplishing much.
I find it apropos that it was today that Manuel came and gave me this particular encouragement. Today we celebrate the feast day of Saint John of the Cross, who wrote about how one can journey through spiritual darkness.
We can feel that we are not receiving much spiritual consolation in the midst of our toil. It might seem as if we are laboring without it being clear what we are really doing.
Yet in the midst of this spiritual darkness, a light shines. A light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not put it out.*
After night had fallen tonight, the doorbell here rang. At the door I found a homeless man who presented me with a spiritual candle, lit in the darkness, and bringing to me light through the hope he was urging me to maintain.
Jesus comes to us in those who are poor, in those who are outcast, in those who are the least among us.** Jesus comes to us and encourages us to keep moving forward, even when we are in darkness.
Jesus is the light of the world.*** He shows us the way since He is The Way.****
When we find ourselves in darkness, if we look for the light He is giving to us always, since He is with us always,***** we will see The Way. Even in darkness, we can see Him, and so we can see The Way home to Our Heavenly Father.
* John 1:5
** Matthew 25:40,45
*** John 8:12; 1 John 1:5
**** John 14:6
***** Matthew 28:20
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