20261026 Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

(Eph 4:32–5:8, Lk 13:10-17): "Live as children of light." Dear brothers and sisters, as we watch the autumn scenery deepen before our eyes, and contemplate the mysterious order and transformation painted by light and color, we reflect on our identity within this world woven with the Lord’s providence. Even though it is clear that we are "imperfect beings" who must accept the human shadows of frailty and the grief of loss as "inevitable stumblings," a sudden sense of deep gratitude washes over us—that we are able to lift our eyes to the heavens and grasp even a small part of that vast, unfathomable providence. The Korean writer Kim Cho-yup wrote in her book Cognitive Space, "There are so many stars in that night sky that our cognitive space cannot hold them all. Yet, if each of us holds a share of those stars, we might just be able to picture the universe in its entirety." I found this expression‎ so touching. For we are all beings who carry our own individual shadows alongside our own unique lights. While undeniable and painful wounds inevitably cast their gloom, we simultaneously yearn for the light; and even though we cannot count all the stars, holding tightly to just one of them while we live is precisely why our hearts are so precious. Yet those who are locked within their own self-righteousness fail to understand the simple yet radiant beauty of light, and miss the most essential truth. Such is the closed-heartedness of those who brought a critical measuring tape to the work the Lord performed on the sabbath. What meaning is truly contained within the "Sabbath"? Going far beyond a mere law to be rigidly kept, it is infused with God’s tender fidelity in creating humanity, alongside the Lord’s mercy for each individual existence and the primordial, beautiful providence rooted in it. That is why, confronting an era where God was pushed aside by laws, institutions, and human authoritarianism, the Lord pierces through with the words of Luke 13:16: "Ought not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, to have been set free from this bond on the sabbath day?" Compassion and understanding toward the physical and spiritual suffering of a woman bent over for eighteen years must always become the weightier, essential core, far surpassing the heavy framework of the closed customs of this world. Thus, no one can ever block the dreams we hold so deeply within our hearts, nor can they ever trap us within the framework of darkness. Sometimes, people fall into the illusion—and create fear—that the power and might of this world can control or strip away even our most cherished memories, our fondest recollections, and our hope for a beautifully envisioned world. Yet there is no authority anywhere in this world that can ever stop a single flower from blooming between the cracks of a rock. In truth, any human hierarchies or distinctions we place before God completely lose their meaning. We must never forget that, rather than dividing ourselves by our differences, according to the Creator's design we are called to act as levers for one another, helping each other grow and mature through God’s love. Do we not also know that the Holy Spirit desires the common good—where everyone radiates light, and those lights gather to illuminate one another once again? As Saint Paul exhorts us in Ephesians 5:1-2, "So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love." Without exception, every single one of us is the object of God’s love. Grace is never perfected through specific charisms or authorities granted only to a chosen few. Rather, we receive the vocation of being lamps that light the way for one another through humble listening, and through an embrace tinged with forgiveness and consideration for those standing right beside us. We must never fall into the delusion that we hold God’s place over anyone else. Dear brothers and sisters, as the Apostle continues in Ephesians 5:8, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light." May these be blessed days as we journey forward, praying that we may become souls who hold a share of each other’s light, adding that radiance to this world and universe crafted by God. Amen.