"How is it that Jesus is like light?"

 Today we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord or Candlemas. It is a time when we bless our candles because, at the Presentation of Jesus at the temple, Simeon foretold that Jesus would be a "light for revelation to the Gentiles."
              How is it that Jesus is like light? We all know how important it is to turn on our car headlights when we are driving at night. If we leave our headlights off at night when driving, we can miss a turn and go careening off a cliff. Jesus is like a headlight in that He reveals to us most fully how to live well so that we do not end up careening off a cliff in life.
Living without Jesus is like driving with your headlights off. You will be filled with fear. Not knowing where you are going or when to turn or when to slow down will mean you will go through life blind - filled with anxiety. This is what it is like to go through life without faith. If you do not have faith, you will rightly be afraid to leave the garage. When the light of faith decreases, fear increases. And living in constant fear is not living well.
Jesus and His Church answer our questions about what to avoid - what are sins. He tells us how to turn away from careening into Hell. He reveals to us what humanity is for and His plan for the universe. Like light, He reveals reality to us more clearly so that we can know how to live well.
God bless,
Fr. Scott