By Debby Giusti

 

Crystal by Liz West via Flikr. CC BY 2.0

 

Brothers and sisters: You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. Ephesians 5:8-14

 

Paul’s words to the Ephesians in today’s second reading are especially meaningful for our Lenten journey. Christ is the light of the world, and Paul enjoins us to live in that light and put aside the ways of darkness.

Recently while setting my table for dinner guests, I pulled crystal goblets from my cupboard and held them up to the sunlight streaming through the window. I was shocked by what I saw. Although I had carefully washed and put the goblets away after the last use, each glass was marked with water spots that marred the beauty of the stemware. I quickly grabbed a cloth and wiped away the smudges until the crystal sparkled in the light.

The spotted goblets bring to mind the importance of our Lenten journey. The forty days of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving provide a time of reflection and recollection when we can evaluate where we are in relation to Christ.

Each of us was created to be a beautiful vessel open to receive the Lord’s grace and mercy. As children of the light, we long to live fully in his love, yet too often we hide in the shadows, ignoring our imperfections. Just like the marks on the stemware, the smudges and soot of our sinfulness create a film that dulls the beauty of our souls and clouds our response to Jesus. Thankfully, Christ, in his abundant mercy, provides reconciliation as a means of wiping us clean so that his love can fill us to overflowing.

Let us use these last weeks of Lent to examine ourselves more closely. Are we focused on our own self-serving egos or are we attuned to the needs of our neighbors and following the path Christ wills for our lives? Have we allowed the enticements of the world to dull our sense of right and wrong? Have we become soiled by seemingly inconsequential acts of disobedience that keep us from accepting the sometimes difficult challenges of Christ’s teaching?

Just like a housewife preparing her table, each of us needs to reconcile our sinful actions, ask forgiveness and wipe away the dirt and grime that have clouded our response to the Lord’s invitation to holiness and right living. Only then will we be able to reflect the light of Christ and produce, as Paul suggests, “every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.”

Step into the light and shine!

About the Author:

Debby Giusti is a bestselling author of Christian suspense, with more than 750,000 books in print. Her work has won numerous accolades, including two Daphne du Maurier Awards for Inspirational Suspense and the National Readers’ Choice Award. A lifelong Catholic, Army wife and mother of three, Debby shares the love of Christ, one story at a time. Watch for her next book, Amish Refuge, on sale in May. Visit Debby: www.DebbyGiusti.com and https://www.facebook.com/debby.giusti.9