Justin Appel

Dear Friends,

Today’s Gospel lesson from John recounts Jesus’ words: “I am the light of the world.”

On the one hand, we are reminded by this phrase that “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5), and that, speaking of Christ, “in him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:4).

A traditional prayer states that “in Thy light shall we see light.” This, along with John’s passages suggest that God’s light is much more than some kind of material phenomenon. To live in God’s light is to live according to the illumination we experience in Christ, a spiritual illumination in which we may be given real sight, discernment, and a sense of living in God’s presence, in his economy, according to his will.

From the early centuries, the Church has celebrated the light of Christ, especially in the context of the evening liturgies, that time of lighting candles and of traditional prayers referencing God’s light. One of these prayers is the Phos hilaron, or as an English translation puts it, “O Gladsome Light.”

I have been listening to a new setting of this text by the American composer Benedict Shehan, and I have found this music, with its rich harmonies, deep bass lines, and chant-inspired idiom, can reveal something of this light—that illuminating presence that allows us to see anything truly. Of course, I am not suggesting music is magical, but rather that music is a gift that God can use to open our spiritual eyes.

Yours in Christ,

—Justin