A Beacon of Light?

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5) These words are from the Prologue of St. John’s Gospel which in my opinion are among the most beautiful words ever written in human history. They express the reality of how beautiful, transformative, and powerful the Incarnation of Jesus in flesh is for mankind. Jesus Christ the Light of World has entered into our experience and from Him we have received the gift necessary to bring light and clarity to a world and existence darkened by sin.

In the baptismal liturgy the newly baptized (in the case of infants, the godfather) light a candle from the Paschal (Easter) Candle to signify the Light of Christ that now dwells in their soul because of their baptism into Christ’s death and Resurrection. The PaschalCandle is at the center of the Easter Vigil liturgy and very starkly represent the Light shining in the darkness that St. John announces in his Gospel. The deacon proclaims the Paschal (Easter) Candle: “The Light of Christ” three times as he processes the Paschal Candle into the sanctuary. Upon the second proclamation the light of the Paschal Candle is spread to all the baptized who themselves hold a candle to represent their baptismal dignity and light.

When the Archdiocese of Cincinnati announced the pastoral planning process “Beacons of Light”, people came up with some derogatory derivatives to poke fun of the process. Yet, as I reflected upon the idea of “Beacons of Light”, I realized how appropriate this name was for succinctly detailing the purpose of Beacons of Light: to turn our parishes and the people of God into missionary outposts, that is lights shining in the darkness of our culture and communities. The light that shines is Christ Himself who has given Himself to us in the sacraments especially the Eucharist to make each of us His evangelist.

Beacons in our context intends to break our tendency to see full churches or a nominally Catholic culture as enough. We are called to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) I am not just talking about evangelizing every single person in Shelby County (I am talking about that) but also that we should not just be content that our children be Catholic, but that we will impart a Faith in Christ so strong that they want to go into the whole world and transform the cultures and communities through and in Jesus Christ. Whether the world be Shelby County, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio, the U.S., or to far flung places beyond our own borders. Truly thriving Catholic parishes should be inspiring vocations to the priesthood (both diocesan and religious) and religious life, have young people that are willing to give up some years of their life to serve others (such FOCUS or Damascus Missionaries). Instilling in all of our parishioners the reality that “whoever loses his life for my (Jesus) sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25)

How will this come about? Slowly, with many hiccups and lessons along the way. The first step of this process is something that will not end in this life. First, by focusing on the importance of confession which testifies to two fundamental principles of the spiritual life: that we are sinners who need another to save us, and that this Savior is Jesus Christ who continues to bestow Divine Mercy upon sinners in the confessional to ransom their souls from death in hell. This leads us to emphasize the importance of the Eucharist in the life of the Christian. the Eucharist is truly the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. By accepting the True Presence and the unending depth the Eucharistic Mystery, we will help to guide our parishes into deeper and deeper relationships with God and our brothers and sisters in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 16-18) There can be no deeper relationship with Jesus than through the Holy Eucharist. The Eucharist in turn will push us to share the good news of Jesus and value of belonging to the Church which is the Body of Christ with every single person we meet. That sharing and proclamation of the mystery of Salvation is what the rest of the Beacons process is about. Turning hearts away from selfishness, pride, and sin in order to direct hearts to Heart of the Father which is full of generosity and overflowing love that seeks only our good.

There are many steps to this process of parish transformation, just as there are many steps to our personal transformation in Christ. Like us as individuals (and communities), our parishes are good and they could be so much greater if we allow the Beacons of Light process to become an opportunity for growth.  Jesus asks us to step out on the water and trust that all things work for good for those who love God. (Matthew 14:22-33 & Romans 8:28) Jesus, I trust in You!

Thank you to the many people who have invited me and the other priest into their lives in many different ways. It has been a joy beyond anything I can express to share a meal, speak about personal and spiritual matters, or a chance encounter in the store with so many. God has good reason to love His people.

Peace in Christ,

Father Jarred Kohn

8/20/2023