The Light in the Blackest Night

In the blackest night of Saturday, a light glimmered. This is how I dramatically remembered the Service of the Light done in Santo Domingo Church, Quezon City. From a single flame emanating from the balcony of the Church, a new hope emerged. This singular hope became plural as the flames were distributed along. As I received the flame from the person beside me, I witnessed how faces shimmered with the received fire.
With this, I realized how sensitive our eyes are to the light. Light shows us the truth. We love light since darkness cannot give the truth we are facing. After all, Jesus is the light we seek. Jesus is the Truth that we should never miss or leave. Through the symbol of fire, we share the resurrected Word that became flesh. Through the symbol of fire, we share the truth of Jesus Christ reincarnated in our hearts. Fire is a concrete word of God – the glorious Christ.
It is interesting that such flame is not just a symbol of the glorious Christ. It is also the symbol of change. No wonder that the service of the light is the most dramatic liturgical service in the Easter Vigil since the flame symbolizes a change from sadness to joyful proclamation. From our mourning, we shout to the whole world of the rise of the Truth made flesh again in our hearts. Through the resurrection, we renew our covenant with God. Through this renewal of covenant with God, we experience the love and warmth of God pervading our personhood. This results to a renewed promise. The fire that we hold is our renewed promise to our God never to sin again. God is our light in the blackest night.
 
Written By: Br. Beaujorne Sirad Ramirez, OP, 2nd placer in PBS’ Holy Week Essay Writing Contest