A night if fear, then comes the dawn.

 A night of fear, then comes the dawn!

It always seems that once a glimpse of light, be it ever so small, can become a sign of something we may not understand, but it is hope beyond our fears.  That is what most people who look for relief from adversity are always seeking, especially in a world where nothing stable appears to be grounded anymore, creating darkness in a world of diminished light.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”   (Jn 8: 12).  

Jesus said before the Passion began, “I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.”  (Jn 12:46).

These statements follow so clearly what John says about Christ in his prologue:  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be.  What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race;  the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  (Jn 1: 1 - 5).

Anytime we hear or read about people who have had a Near Death Experience, most relate a tunnel or being guided to a light that seems to be calling and waiting for them to arrive.  Fr. Cedric Pisegna, C.P. related two times he did experience these.  In his book, “Death, the Final Surrender” he relates the presence of a light so intense that one would realize this is God.  Jesus, in the two scripture passages above is trying to elaborate this very incident as found in the Son of Man securing hope that is the light at the end of the tunnel.

An unfortunate occurrence may seem to exist with those whose eyesight is gone, either through birth defects, or an accident.  However, I believe I can say these followers of Christ have a deeper sense that those of us with eyesight do not have.  Their sense of perception must be greater than we can even imagine.  When I was a deacon at St. Paul's Cathedral in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh, there was a lady who was born blind, yet was a lector on many occasions and asked me to be her guide to read Sacred Scripture using Braille.  At St. Bernard's parish in Mt. Lebanon, PA there is a married couple, both blind, and always at Mass.  The male counterpart reads on occasion as a lector, and he does very well.   They can see the light in a more effective manner than you or I.  

One thing that appears positive with people who have a diminished capacity through blindness, or the many other injuries or maladies, do not see these as negative points of life.  Most, if not all, have learned to use what would cripple us with eyesight and other issues as a way to find God and accept this cross as a blessing and are following Christ as evangelical emissaries for the Church.  Their crosses are what would hold us back but they accept what they have as grace from God.   There is no fear with them.  The dawn is always there in their hearts.

Ralph B. Hathaway