Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. (Matthew 7:7-11)
What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" (Luke 11:11-13)
Ask a physicist to define light, and you might hear that light consists of electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye. Ask a biologist to define life, and you might hear that it is the property that distinguishes living organisms, and that it manifests itself in growth, reproduction, and response to stimulus. Ask one of the writers of the New Testament, however, and you'll get an entirely different answer. Most likely, you'll hear that light and life are dynamic gifts from God made available to us in Jesus Christ.
There is so much more to the Christian life than the "light" that consists of intellectual understanding. There is so much more than the "life" that consists of surviving in this world. Jesus doesn't just want us to know about him, he wants us to know him, and the light and new life he wants to give us. Endless galleries of divine revelation and unmerited grace exist that can bring us to a personal knowledge and experience of Jesus and his plan for our lives. One of the greatest promises of the Christian life is that our minds can be lifted up by the Holy Spirit and our hearts filled with the light of divine revelation. Do you believe this? Isn't this what ongoing conversion is all about?
So where do we find this revelation? In Jesus Christ, the Word of God. According to the Church, "in giving us his Son, God spoke everything to us at once-and he has no more to say" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 65). For the rest of our lives, however, we can dig ever more deeply into this revelation of Christ. "He is like a rich mine with many pockets containing treasures; however deep we dig we will never find their end or their limit" (St. John of the Cross, Spiritual Canticle).
Why do we need the light and life of Christ in an ever-deepening way through ongoing conversion? Because without him, we are dead. Scripture tells us that, because of sin, we have forfeited our inheritance of divine life. The law of death holds sway over us, and there is no escaping it on our own power. Only the wooden beam, his Cross, and the open grave, his Resurrection, can restore this life to us. Isn't this the message of this Easter Season? Faith in Christ can open so many more doors than we can imagine.
So come to Jesus today, and every day, whether at Mass, during times of prayer and Scripture reading, during times of just sitting quietly before him, or even during busy or difficult times. Just ask the Lord for divine revelation; just ask for a double portion of his light and his life. He won't give you a "stone" or a "snake" or a "scorpion", but all the good gifts you need to know, love, and serve him.
"Lord Jesus, I believe that by your cross and resurrection, you have overcome my darkness and restored me to divine life. I want to know you more, and experience more deeply your love and your life in me through ongoing conversion. May I be like you, bringing your love, light and life to a needy world."
Maurice Blumberg is the Director of the National Fellowship of Catholic Men Center. Many thanks to The Word Among Us (http://www.wau.org) for allowing us to adapt material from daily meditations in their monthly devotional magazine. Used with permission.]
Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men
1. Reflect a few moments on the Scriptures at the beginning of the article. What truths do they reveal to you? How does Jesus' words relate to "ongoing conversion"?
2. In the article, we hear these words, "Jesus doesn't just want us to know about him, he wants us to know him, and the light and new life he wants to give us." How would you describe the difference between knowing about Jesus or knowing him? How would you describe your relationship with Jesus?
3. The article goes on to say: " One of the greatest promises of the Christian life is that our minds can be lifted up by the Holy Spirit and our hearts filled with the light of divine revelation. Do you believe this? Isn't this what ongoing conversion is all about?" How would you answer these two questions? Why?
4. The article also asks this question, "Why do we need the light and life of Christ in an ever-deepening way through ongoing conversion?" How would you answer this question?
5. What steps can you take to allow ongoing conversion to deepen in your life?
6. If you are in a men's group, end your meeting by praying to the Lord for one another that each of you would experience ongoing conversion more deeply. Use the prayer at the end of the article as the starting point
