Regnum Christi Ontario
May 1, 20203 min
Updated: May 23, 2021
“Let us open ourselves to the light of the Lord; He always awaits.” This invitation came to us from Pope Francis on the Fourth Sunday of Lent. Open yourself to the light of the Lord! He is awaiting you!
Pope Francis on the 4th Sunday of Lent
These words have come to me often during the
last weeks of Lent; and resounded even more fully throughout Holy Week and the
Triduum. The liturgies of this time that in the past have brought us such
comfort as we gathered to welcome Christ, the Light of the World and to celebrate
his Resurrection; his conquering of death. Yet, this year has been very
different as we continue to live in isolation, apart from our traditional
liturgies, apart from the Sacraments. Our physical isolation, lived perhaps
with family members, or in total isolation for those who live alone gives us
pause to reflect on this Christ Who is the Light; this Christ who awaits us.
How beautifully He prepared our world for a
time such as this! Many oases of virtual Masses, rosary groups, retreats,
formative talks, and so forth have been provided in our Eucharistic desert.
While these virtual events cannot replace our sacramental life, they provide an
aid to persevering in living our faith. So, for those of us already engaged in
the faith, these resources may have strengthened us and kept us going through
those difficult weeks of Lent. They also provided opportunities to share these
treasures with those who may be searching for Christ – even if they did not
know it. Digital missionaries are able to reach so many more folks in a short
period of time and provide something to meet the many and diverse needs of
souls searching for fulfillment; searching for Christ.
Easter has always been a time to truly
celebrate Christ and his resurrection; the reason for our faith. One of my
favourite liturgies is the Easter Vigil as it contains so many elements of our
faith and of salvation history. It opens with the lighting of the parish’s
baptismal candle and the invitation for us to open ourselves to the light of
the Lord. We are reminded of our own baptism and the call to evangelize as we
renew our baptismal promises. We used our baptismal candles as we celebrated
the Vigil at home this year. This made the renewal of promises a little more
intentional for my family, and brought to mind our continued responsibility to
be his light in our world.
Some of the ways this light may shine
through may happen as you pray for the intentions of another during a virtual
Mass or rosary. It may appear as you engage in discussion with others during a
virtual conference, or as you prayerfully attend a formative talk. He always
awaits. He longs to be united with each soul he has created. May he reach many
through this time of pandemic and enforced isolation. May many find hope
through these abundant resources and not fall into despair and fear. Be
attentive to posts of friends, family, or even strangers on your social media.
Reach out and be Christ’s light giving hope and encouragement. The world of
social media has been very impersonal and allowed for much negative behaviour
in the past. This Easter Season make it a place where Christ can touch his
people.
Be safe. Stay healthy. Know that he is calling each of us into his light by name and he always awaits us. Let us keep one another in prayer and always rejoice for he is risen. Alleluia!
Written by Deb D’Ettore