What Did Peter Need to Do to “Catch Men” for Christ?
Embrace the Night for it Brings Light
Photo By: Image by Felix Mittermeier from Pixabay
I was praying Psalm 139 one morning and my eyes paused on lines 11 and 12:
Surely darkness shall hide me, and night shall be light.
Darkness is not dark for you,
And night shines as the day.
Darkness and light are but one.
Do we think of the night as light? As transformative in its power? As an in-road to the Divine? Because it is.
God sees darkness as the breaking through of light. His Son’s dark day on the cross shows us that. The saints lives show us that.
If you’ve ever experienced a dark night of the soul, a period of darkness that leads to spiritual light and transformation, you will see the truth of these lines, even though that dark night is so hard to get through.
Our darkness and our light are but one, as the psalmist says. The interplay of the dark and light makes the beautiful tapestry of who God is molding us to be. They work hand in hand, side by side.
Our torments, impurities, sufferings, anguish, and trials coupled with our joys, peace, and moments of light, are part of one picture of the Holy One entering our lives more deeply.
Embrace the night for it brings light.
About the Author
Katie Zalany lives in Cleveland Ohio. She is a Third Order Secular Franciscan (OFS), spiritual director, benefits/wellness leader, and certified health and life coach. She volunteers with St. Vincent de Paul Society serving the poor, is an active mentor to many individuals, and a prolific writer. Her writing interests and focus areas include spiritual development, reflections on the Gospel life, Franciscian spirituality, prayer, and integration of faith and work/daily living. She is the published author of Called to Corporate: Lessons of Growing in Faith and Holiness from the Corporate Cubicle.
