Children of the Light

Homily for Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Both of the Scripture readings for today’s liturgy ask us to distinguish between the children of this world and the children of the light. Both St. Paul and St. Luke describe the children of this world in fairly graphic detail. The children of this world are enemies of the cross according to St. Paul, and they are more prudent in dealing with the present generation according to St. Luke. The question that is implied without being explicitly asked is, “What is the hallmark of the children of the light?”

If we simply look for the antithesis of the description of the children of this world, the first issue that we must confront is our own willingness to embrace the cross of Jesus Christ. There is a famous image of St. Francis standing at the foot of the cross with his arms wrapped around the feet of Jesus. We also know from our history and the thirteenth century biographies of St. Francis and St. Clare that the passion of Jesus Christ was the subject of their contemplation and meditation every afternoon between the hours of noon and three. St. Francis spoke of Jesus and the fact that he wished to emulate both the humility of his incarnation and the charity of his passion.

Conforming our lives to that of St. Paul who holds himself up for emulation in today’s reading and at the same time walking in the footsteps of St. Francis and St. Clare obviously involves our own willingness to conform our lives to the Gospel admonition to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. At the same time, rather than simply divorcing ourselves from the realities of this world, we are to learn to deal with the present generation with prudence and wisdom without falling into the snare of the enticements that this world has to offer.

Each Friday is a reminder for us of the greatest sacrifice of Jesus, crucified on Mount Calvary outside the city of Jerusalem. As we walk with Jesus each day and as we receive him in the Eucharist, life as a child of the light entails a devotion to the crucified Savior who has asked us to love others as he has loved us. This is the only way to claim that we are children of the light.