Conversion – from darkness to light
THE WORD IN LENT 2026 – FRIDAY FOURTH WEEK
March 20 – Wisdom 2: 1,12-22; John 7: 1-2,10,25-30
Conversion as the journey from darkness to light, is a definitive choice for God, but today the world seems to be tending much towards Godlessness, in every way: personal lives and morals, societal values and norms, cultural priorities and choices… in everything there seems to be a tendency towards Godlessness. However, we need not be surprised because right the from the beginning this has been a scourge of humanity.
In fact, the ancient enemy the tempter, has always found all possible means to unleash this sensation on the human race – to render it as Godless as possible. One efficient means, of the many that the Evil one has in stock, is the proneness to judge! Jesus knew this easy bait and has warned us time and again – judge not and you will not be judged. But it takes a great effort to listen to that admonition really.
We are prone to judge and that is an expression of godlessness, because in judging we are tending to play God. Our pride and self-centredness occupy such a large space that there is no much place for the other, and indeed note for God!
As if judging were not enough, as a natural and consequential deterioration of this habit or attitude we soon begin to judge people wrongly! This is the further step of godlessness, because we begin assassinating people in varied forms. We cease to see them as they are and force them into the straightjackets that we have prepared.
Worse it is to go still further and judge, not only wrongly, but maliciously – wantonly making wrong judgements and maliciously spreading them to achieve the hidden ends that we have devised for ourselves. This is an acute expression of godlessness…and we see that decried in the first reading and the Gospel today – the killing of the innocents. Does it not continue even today?
Let us not immediately point to socio-political and economic forces that are flagrantly carrying this out in our times at all levels, be it global or local; because we need to be mindful also in our own interpersonal level – at the micro contexts of our own communities and families. How many persons we judge, we judge wrongly and at time we judge even maliciously?
Can we leave that darkness and journey towards the light of innocence?
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Fr Antony Christy is a Salesian Priest from 2005, who has a Masters in Philosophy (specialisation in Religion) and a Masters in Theology (Specialisation in Catechetics). He is currently pursuing his doctoral research in Theology at Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. Walking with the Young towards a World of Peace and Dialogue is the passion that fires him.