O Day-Spring,
Brightness of light eternal,
and Sun of Justice,
come and enlighten
them that sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death.
Today’s Antiphon ends with the same line as yesterday’s, referring to those who “sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.”
And I thought, isn’t it enough?
He comes to bring the prisoner forth. Yesterday.
But the prisoner is still sitting here in darkness. Today. Why?
“Come and enlighten them.”
Oh, we are so very human, aren’t we? The Word made Flesh, dwelt amount us, and still we sit in darkness, not willing to even whisper Fiat. Not willing to move forward.
Today also happens to be the Feast of St Thomas the Apostle. Not by chance; God always gives us exactly what we need, exactly when we need it.
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
St John 20:24-25
The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
St John 20:26-29
Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Thank God for St Thomas, who said out loud what so many of us are thinking.
“Except I shall see…I will not believe.”
And Jesus, in His great mercy, comes and enlightens him. And by this great example, all of us. Truly, even the wisest of men traveled the hardest of paths following the light of a star just to see Him with their own eyes. Will we believe the proof all around us and within us, even if we don’t get to see in the way we expect to?
O Wisdom, Order, and Prudence. I need You.
O Adonai, Leadership, Laws, and Redemption. I need You.
O Root of Jesse, Ensign, and Silence. I need You.
O Key of David, Freedom from death. Fiat. I need You.
O Day-Spring, Light and Proof and Faith. I need You.
thepath2eternity 