Dickens’ famous novel A Tale of Two Cities starts with this memorable sentence: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…” This sentences reflects so well the polar opposites and contradictions that can exist in our lives here on earth. Even in the midst of so much darkness and despair, sufferings and angst, the light is there shining through.
The disciples and apostles who comprises the Early Church brought the life of Christ to the people of the ancient Mediterranean world. We priests seem to have a lot of baptisms during the Easter season. We receive the light of Christ at our baptism, but the parents and godparents are entrusted to keep the light of Christ burning brightly in the life of the child. Even in the darkness of persecution in the Early Church, even with the death of Stephen as the first martyr, men like Philip spread the Good News of Christ as a light in the world. In the best of times or in the worst of times, in a time or folly or in a time of wisdom, in a time of hope or in a time of anguish, the light of Christ is there for us shining in the darkness.
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