Daily Gospel Reflection for April 8, 2019

Today's Gospel: John 8:12-20 In the eighth chapter of John’s Gospel, verses 12 – 20, Jesus is speaking in the area of the temple and describes in plain language who He is. He calls Himself the light of the world. You can almost hear a hint of frustration in His responses, as he suffers through suspicious questions from the Pharisees. He is God. He knows He is God. Yet the religious leaders just can’t bring themselves to trust Him. They look for legal proofs, witnesses and judgments. It must have made Jesus sad to see Church leaders who did not have sufficient faith to recognize Him, or the Father who sent him. When we get bogged down with the daily cares of our lives and demand proofs from God of His reality and of His love, we can miss the light of Jesus too. It’s Lent. Today is the perfect day to take a moment to power down the hypnotic false light of our screens, step away from the darkness of our worries, and in a perhaps otherwise dark room…light a single candle. And make the words of Jesus our prayer, “Jesus, you are the light of the World. Whenever I follow you, I do not walk in darkness, but I have the light of life."