--- title: Live in the Light description: Shelly Henley Kelly contemplates our need for the Light of Christ in a dark, broken world.  image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Live%20in%20the%20light-shkelly%200120%202.jpg --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/live-in-the-light#) [FAITH](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/tag/faith) # Live in the Light Jan 20, 2021 1:00:00 PM  |  by [Shelly Henley Kelly](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/shelly) ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Live%20in%20the%20light-shkelly%200120%202.jpg) *Shelly Henley Kelly contemplates our need for the Light of Christ in a dark, broken world. * My kitchen counter is still cluttered. Christmas décor spills across the living room where it waits to be packed. My daughters are back at their universities. My son is back in school. It’s been ten months of “two weeks to flatten the curve,” my job ended, and the country is a hotbed mess of who can be more righteously hateful to the other in the pretense that it will bring “unity.” Struggling to see an end in sight, the sudden realization that today is our weekly Adoration hour inspires me to put on real clothes and head to the church. It’s too late for the daily Mass, but I slip into a back pew before the final blessing. Anticipating the exposition, I hear Father announce that, effective this week, Adoration is moved to another day before the newly added evening Mass, and he leaves. Needless to say this is a crushing blow to my aching spirit and hot tears spill over before I can stop them. As the daily Mass attendees shuffle out and lights are dimmed, a group of women in the front of the church begin a Rosary. The rhythmic cadence soothes my weary soul, one that sits in darkness. Suddenly, there is a warmth on my back; a yellow light slowly creeps across the floor. Sunlight pours through the stained glass, dappling the church interior. As it intensifies, my eyes lift to the tabernacle and the red candle burning beside it. ![Live in the light-shkelly 0120](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Live%20in%20the%20light-shkelly%200120.jpg?width=2000&name=Live%20in%20the%20light-shkelly%200120.jpg) He is here. He burns for me as I for him. The light from the candle. The light from the sun. They remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. He did not enter a perfect world; rather he was born into a dark broken world, a sinful world. He is the light that peeks over the horizon, slowly illuminating the day, until with a brilliant radiance it spills over, changing everything. It fills the sky, pierces the clouds, beams into darkened spaces, and we lift our eyes into it, soaking in its warmth. > [CLICK TO TWEET > In whatever darkness threatens to surround you, embrace Christ’s light. #catholicmom](https://ctt.ac/blenR) We are a people living in darkness and we need the light of Christ. In these dark times, we must consciously allow it into our soul, our mind, cleansing the dark, until it fills us with His peace and love. Today, in whatever darkness threatens to surround you, embrace Christ’s light. Allow it to empower us to become radiant with His light for others so that we shine brightly. --- Copyright 2021 Shelly Henley Kelly Image copyright 2017 Barb Szyszkiewicz. All rights reserved, used with permission ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Flive-in-the-light%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Flive-in-the-light%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Flive-in-the-light%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Live%20in%20the%20Light) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Flive-in-the-light%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Flive-in-the-light%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Shelly Henley Kelly](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Shelly%20Kelly.jpg) ### [Shelly Henley Kelly](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/shelly) Shelly Henley Kelly is a wife, mother of three, and native Texan who writes and records a podcast with her sister on [Of Sound Mind and Spirit](http://www.soundmindandspirit.com/). When not writing or recording, Shelly can be found keeping the scorebook at her son’s baseball games, diving deep into historical research, or hiding with a good book in between games. [**](https://www.facebook.com/SoundMindandSpirit/) [**](https://www.twitter.com/shellyhkelly) ## Related Blog Articles [ A Litany of Saints for the Family Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/a-litany-of-saints-for-the-family) [ How Being a Catechist Changed My Life Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/how-being-a-catechist-changed-my-life) [ Even in Little Ways Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/even-in-little-ways) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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