Let There Be Light

Enjoying the flourishing of her family’s garden, Tina Mayeux meditates on the importance of light in this season of Easter.

My husband and youngest daughter enjoy gardening together as a hobby and so they can produce a few vegetables for us to eat and cook with. From growing such oddities as dragon fruit plants to raising the more standard tomatoes and peppers from seeds, my husband’s patience and perseverance, coupled with our daughter’s green thumb and her impeccable good luck, always tend to yield an abundant harvest.

A key component to the process is making sure the plants receive enough light. When starting the plants from seeds, they often place them indoors under a fluorescent grow lamp, which emits a concentrated amount of light directly on the soil. Receiving the direct light enables the seedlings to sprout and the result is a batch of robust and healthy plants that can then be transplanted to the garden outside, where they can soak up the sunlight.

Our family’s little crop has begun to grow and mature, thanks in large part to this generous exposure to light. Having just celebrated the great Solemnity of Easter, I was reminded of the importance of light in our own lives and the need to receive and absorb the Light of Christ to grow spiritually. There are numerous references to light in Scripture, both in the Old and New Testaments. In the creation account in Genesis, God’s first action is to create light and separate the night from the day, distinguishing the light from the darkness. We are called toward the light repeatedly by Jesus in the Gospels.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Jesus also tells us that we, too, must be the light when He proclaimed,

“Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16)

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While observing our vegetable seedlings sprout and subsequently mature, I have noticed that the growth does not happen quickly; rather, it is a slow and steady process. It requires patience and serenity of heart as the seeds soak up the sunlight and water day after day before sending their roots out into the soil and their stems and leaves cautiously burst forth.

Similarly, our growth often happens extremely slowly and is at times imperceptible as it happens. It often seems to me that I am making little to no progress in the spiritual life. However, when I look back, I see that transformation is taking place. The things that contribute to the growth have included prayer, frequenting the sacraments, especially Confession and the Eucharist, and remaining faithful to my vocation of being a wife and mother. There are often setbacks, to be sure; however, over time I see the fruit of God’s grace and action in my life and in the lives of my husband and children as we strive to serve Him in family life.

A popular quote which has been circulated on social media reads:

When you are in a dark place, you sometimes seem to think you’ve been buried. Perhaps you’ve been planted. Bloom.

This resonates with me deeply, because it reminds me that with Christ there is always hope, even in the most difficult of times. When facing dark or challenging times, it is sometimes tempting to lose faith or even to despair when we take our eyes off of Jesus. In this season of Easter, we experience the joy of the Resurrection and can bask in the light of Christ as we celebrate and enjoy His victory over death and the Cross.

Click to tweet:
Like these miniature seeds deep in the dark soil, we receive Christ’s light this Easter and believe that we have not been buried, but rather, planted. #CatholicMom

We are looking forward with anticipation to enjoying the fruits of my husband’s and daughter’s labor of love in the garden when the tomatoes and peppers are ripe. From their humble beginnings as tiny seeds, the plants will soon yield colorful, delicious vegetables. Like these miniature seeds deep in the dark soil, we receive Christ’s light this Easter and believe that we have not been buried, but rather, planted. Like the delicate green shoots and flowers that appear as spring approaches, we can be sure that, remaining in the light, we will also continue to bloom over time and with perseverance.

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