Light in the Darkness

My Dear Friends,

With sad hearts, we bid adieu with our love and prayers to Pope Francis, who passed away in the early hours of Easter Monday morning (21 April 2025). We pray that our holy Father may rest in peace, and that his legacy will bring greater unity in our Church.

I would like to reflect with you this week on His homily for the Easter Vigil this year. His words elucidate the mixed feelings in my heart as we celebrate the Victory won in Christ Jesus, while also mourning the passing of our Holy Father.

He writes: “Brothers and sisters, during this Jubilee Year in particular, we should feel strongly within us the summons to let the hope of Easter blossom in our lives and in the world! When the thought of death lies heavy on our hearts, when we see the dark shadows of evil advancing in our world, when we feel the wounds of selfishness or violence festering in our flesh and in our society, let us not lose heart, but return to the message of this night.  The light quietly shines forth, even though we are in darkness; the promise of new life and a world finally set free awaits us; and a new beginning, however impossible it might seem, can take us by surprise, for Christ has triumphed over death.”

I love how Pope Francis manages to capture the triumph and the light, while also keeping in mind the shadows and darkness. We have the promise of new life and yet the victory of the kingdom is still unfolding. It is already here, but yet not yet fully here.

Pope Francis comments honestly, “the Resurrection is like little seeds of light that slowly and silently come to take root in our hearts, at times still prey to darkness and unbelief,” comparing the many little candles burning in the night from the Paschal Candle. He notes, “We cannot celebrate Easter without continuing to deal with the nights that dwell in our hearts and the shadows of death that so often loom over our world. Christ indeed conquered sin and destroyed death, yet in our earthly history the power of His Resurrection is still being brought to fulfilment.”

I feel those words, that characterization, in a particular way this week. Many signs of victory emerge in our lives, and yet it takes some time for these signs to be recognized. We oftentimes do not immediately acknowledge or appreciate fully the victory won in Christ Jesus, because we are aware of the darkness. Still, it is good to be reminded that “we are an Easter people!” a people of the Resurrection.

It is okay to feel the challenge of that joy. Our Gospel for this weekend depicts that challenge as well. The disciples are huddled together in the Upper Room for fear of the Jews. They too are not ready to step out in faith and joy (Jn 20: 19-31). Jesus comes into their mist to assure them with the gift of His peace. 

Yet Thomas was not present. Maybe he was off replaying the last days and weeks in his mind. Thomas is a thoughtful fellow with lots of questions, maybe he had those doubts rising in his heart. Jesus steps again into their midst with the gift of peace, but then goes further, to invite Thomas to touch His wounds - signs of darkness and sin that have become also signs of victory. These are the same glorified wounds that we see visible in the Divine Mercy image that we honor in a special way this Sunday in our parish from 1pm to 3pm. Come join us!

In fact, many of the first accounts of the Resurrection deal with this combination of light in the darkness, joy out of the sadness, clarity and hope growing stronger in the middle of confusion and doubt. For me, these are signs of Jesus inviting us to participate in His victory, just as He invites Thomas to move from doubt to faith. Sometimes we refer to Thomas as ‘doubting Thomas’ but we must also refer to him as ‘believing Thomas’ since he is the one who professes: “My Lord and My God!”

May the light of Christ shine in your heart!
Fr. Joel