“You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light…” (Eph 5:8)
“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” (Eph 5:14)
Advent is a season of awakening—not only to the light, but also to the truth that darkness has shaped us. Saint Paul reminds us that we were once darkness, yet now we are light in the Lord. Hope does not erase the night; it transforms it.
To live fully and integrally, we must acknowledge both. Darkness teaches us longing, humility, and dependence on God. Light reveals goodness, righteousness, and truth. Together they form the rhythm of our lives: night and day, sorrow and joy, waiting and fulfillment.
Christ does not call us to deny the shadows but to let His light shine through them. “Everything that becomes visible is light.” Even our wounds, when exposed to Him, become radiant with mercy. Hope is born in this paradox: that the same Christ who enters our darkness also awakens us into light.
Advent invites us to watch carefully how we live—not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of every opportunity. Hope teaches us to embrace both the night and the dawn, trusting that in Christ, all will be gathered into light.
The days may be evil, but the promise is eternal: the sleeper will awake, the dead will rise, and Christ will give us light.
Smitten With Goodness 