The Eternal Light with so much Brilliance requires our attention!

Viewing the essence of God as he is eternally. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Gn 1: 3). 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).

Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (Jn 8: 12).

The theme of God calling light into being can be a paradox since God is Light himself. (Gn 1: 3).

Our understanding of the chronological effort to dissect every section of the Old Testament, Chapters 1 - 11, are not necessarily real but absolutely true. With the terminology of Light from God who is Light himself is just a manner of describing the creation of human existence for those who were not learned in an abstract type of worldly advances. We are just delving into the very synopsis of what Light is in every aspect of our journey towards heaven and discovering what that Light has to do with human understanding regarding God in three persons.

Cloud and Light. These two images occur together in the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. In the theophanies of the OLd Testament, the cloud, now obscure, now luminous, reveals the living and saving God, while veiling the transcendence of his glory - with Moses on Mount Sinai, at the tent of meeting, and during the wandering in the desert, and with Solomon at the dedication of the Temple. In the Holy Spirit, Christ fulfills these figures. The Spirit comes upon the Virgin Mary and “overshadows” her, so that she might conceive and give birth to Jesus. On the mountain of Transfiguration, the Spirit in the “cloud came and overshadowed” Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, Peter, James, and John, and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my chosen; listen to him!” Finally, the cloud took Jesus out of sight of the disciples on the day of his ascension and will reveal him as Son of man in glory on the day of his final coming. (CCC 697).

Fr. Cedric Pisegna, C.P. wrote in his book “The Final Surrender” two times he was in a near death experience. He says there are a few quick moments of transition. Before I knew it I was at the end of the tunnel . Suddenly, I found myself in the presence of God himself. At the moment of your death, there will come an immediate encounter with God. You will meet your maker. You will remember where you have come from. Your soul came from and will return to God. After the tunnel I was encountering my true self as I was bathed in light. I wasn’t allowed to see a form, but what I did see was light. It was as if I were looking at the sun with my eyes closed, yet even more brilliant. I didn’t just see the light; the brightness bathed and embraced me. I knew the light was alive. In addition to the brightness and luminescence, there was an overwhelming glory. The glory was moving upwards quickly through me and living also.

As we read the final chapter of the Book of Revelation the angel showed John the river of life-giving water, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Nothing accursed will be found there anymore. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will look upon his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. Night will be no more, nor will they need light from lamp or sun, for the Lord God shall give them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. (Rv 22: 1, 3 - 4).

This brings us to the moment of our death. There is a probable existence that right before the angel is ready to accept our soul, the Light of God will already be present, perhaps right before our eyes close for the final journey we shall be traversing towards the Light in its totality.

Ralph B. Hathaway