First Reading - 1 John 2:3-11
Gospel - Luke 2:22-35
The First Reading from 1 John is very direct. It draws a clear line between claiming to know God and actually living in God. Knowing God is not measured by what we say, but by how we love. Anyone who says they are in the light while harboring hatred or indifference toward others is still walking in darkness. This is challenging, because it leaves little room for self-deception. Love is not an optional extra of faith; it is the evidence of it. To walk in the light means to let our relationships be shaped by patience, mercy, and concrete care.
The Gospel from Luke shows us what this light looks like when it enters the world. Mary and Joseph bring the child Jesus to the temple, simply doing what faithful people do. There is nothing dramatic about the scene. Yet in this ordinary moment, Simeon recognizes something extraordinary. He sees in this child the salvation of God, a light meant not just for Israel, but for all nations. Others see a baby; Simeon sees God’s promise fulfilled.
What allows Simeon to see what others miss is not intelligence or status, but a heart shaped by waiting, prayer, and trust. He has lived in hope long enough to recognize fulfillment when it arrives quietly. His joy is real, but so is his honesty. He speaks of contradiction, struggle, and suffering. Light does not eliminate darkness instantly; it exposes it. Love does not avoid cost; it embraces it.
Dear friends, faith matures where love and recognition meet. We walk in the light not by avoiding difficulty, but by choosing love even when it is costly. We recognize Christ not only in moments of clarity, but in situations that challenge us to trust more deeply.
Many encounters with Christ happen in simple, familiar settings: in family responsibilities, in acts of patience, in forgiveness that feels undeserved, in caring for someone who cannot repay us. Like Simeon, we are invited to see more than what is obvious. And like the letter of John reminds us, we are invited to let that recognition reshape how we treat one another.
The invitation today is clear. Do not settle for a faith that stays in words. Walk in the light by choosing love. Ask for eyes that recognize God’s presence even when it comes quietly. When love becomes our way of life, darkness loses its grip, and we discover that the light we have received is meant to be shared.
This is how faith becomes real, how hope becomes visible, and how God continues to be recognized in the midst of ordinary lives.
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