By Anna Milinovich

“If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.” ~ Isaiah 58:10

Do you ever feel stuck in a cycle of gloom and darkness? Perhaps family squabbles, social unrest, and personal struggles seem as if they will never end. Or negative thoughts have overtaken your mind. You begin to believe that you will never grow in virtue. The overwhelming nature of all the serious struggles and the piling up of petty difficulties often lead us to a place of frustration with no apparent way out. But we know that isn’t true.

Evil, suffering, and sin do not have the last word. As confident as we may be of this in theory, it can often be hard to see how to put this reality into practice in our personal, day-to-day lives. Does the Lord really hear when I cry out to Him? Will light ever shine in the darkness of my life? Or what about in the lives of those around me?

If you pour yourself out…

Today’s first reading gives us the key, and it isn’t glamorous. It’s simple and practical and often initially unpleasant, but it works.

We’re called to a life of sacrifice, a life in which we pour ourselves out for others. A life of honesty and charity—in thought, word, and action. Sharing our bread with the hungry. Removing false accusation and malicious speech.

It’s as simple as putting down your phone and preparing a healthy dinner for your family out of love. Or pausing before you comment negatively about a situation in which you don’t actually know the full story. It’s getting a good night’s rest so you can better serve your family the next day, while also being patient when the baby wakes you up again.

All of this is precisely the opposite of what the world encourages us to do. Comfort, convenience, and an “it’s all about me” attitude have unwittingly become our standards. Often we don’t even realize it, but the frustrations and difficulties which arise in our lives are because things aren’t going the way we want it. Both the big, “real” difficulties and the small annoyances add up. Loved ones shouldn’t get sick, and the meat for dinner shouldn’t take so long to thaw.

Yet when we take our eyes off of ourselves and instead focus on those who are directly in our path, we can see God working.

…then shall your light rise

What happens when we pour ourselves out for love of God? God shows Himself in our midst. Healing comes quickly. The light rises in our darkness.

This isn’t to say that the darkness is over. Medical diagnoses won’t suddenly disappear, children won’t magically return to the Faith, and you won’t become a paragon of virtue overnight. There is still suffering on this side of heaven.

Rather than suddenly turn on like a light bulb, the light will rise in the darkness. The sun comes up slowly, with its rays peeking over the horizon long before it actually makes its official appearance. Yet those rays of light make all the difference as dawn approaches, chasing away the shadows of night.

You may not realize it right away, but keep your eyes open. Keep them off yourself and towards God and others out of love for the One Who is Light. Then shall your light rise. Indeed, as Christ reminds us in the Gospel, we are each the light of the world. Let us take His words to heart: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Prayer:

Dear Lord, help me to pour myself out for others. Help me take care of myself and those around me out of selfless love for You. Give me clarity of vision so that I might see the light rising in the darkness.

Call to Action:

Intentionally read the first reading on your own today. Choose one thing from the list and do it, knowing it makes a difference even if you can’t immediately perceive it.

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