In a Nutshell
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In the church's official prayers, Christ often is described in terms of light. In fact, Christ even is referred to as the "sun," the "Sun of Justice." Christ is called "the light of the world." Have we heard that so often that we've become numb to the notion and the words don't register anymore? Imagine, however, what it was like for the earliest Christians to refer to Christ this way in a society where the sun itself was considered a god. Some people must have thought, "How outrageous, to suggest that the Christian Lord is on some sort of par with the sun, a true source of light!" In fact, calling Christ "the light of the world" isn't a cliche. A baptized member of his body shares in his light, as the presence of candles and their light signifies at a baptism. In the light we can see -- with our eyes if we have the gift of sight; with the heart also. In the light we can know where we're headed. Furthermore, we can feel the light's warmth; we can realize that because light enables things to grow, our growth is being nurtured by Christ the light. |
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What Scripture says about God's intervention in human affairs
By Father Dale Launderville, OSBCatholic News Service
There is consolation to be found in the following words of the psalmist: "O Lord, you have searched me, and you know me. You know my sitting and my rising. You discern my thoughts from afar" (Psalm 139:1-2).
That declaration emphasizes not only God's care for us as individuals but also God's power to know even our lives' most hidden aspects. In fact, this psalm proceeds to explain how God knows everything about us: not only our past and present, but our future.
Jesus' important question: "What do you want?"
By Father Frederic Maples, SJCatholic News Service
As I pass by people walking in my favorite park and catch the tiniest bits of conversations, I am struck by the energy people put into talking about how things are with them. (We talk to ourselves a lot too.) We are always working at life.
God hears it all!
How the God of Israel differed from pagan gods
By Father Lawrence Boadt, CSPCatholic News Service
Gods and goddesses in the polytheistic religions of the ancient Near East often were associated very closely with the workings of nature. Descriptions of and prayers to such gods often seemed little more than asking the deity to act as though he or she were a storm, or the sun, or the plague -- or whatever role the god was identified with.
The God of Israel was entirely different.
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Faith in the Marketplace | |
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 This Week's Discussion Point: What would you say about God -- how would you describe God -- to an inquiring nonbeliever? |
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Selected Response From Readers: |
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