The Community of Taizé sing Christe Lux Mundi: ‘O Christ, light of the world, whoever follows you will have the light of life.’

Christe, lux mundi,

qui sequitur te,

habebit lumen vitae,

lumen vitae

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John.

John 8:12-20

Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’ Then the Pharisees said to him, ‘You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.’ Jesus answered, ‘Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgement is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.’ Then they said to him, ‘Where is your Father?’ Jesus answered, ‘You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.’ He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

‘I am the light of the world’. Perhaps we’ve heard this so many times its meaning has dimmed in our hearts. For a moment, just become still, and imagine the most beautiful light you have ever seen… what does it look like? What does it feel like to be around it? Perhaps a small candle…or maybe a bright light in the sky… Let it fill your senses now…

Jesus is even more beautiful than the light you have just imagined. This light carries hope, peace, safety, life… We hear that whoever follows Jesus, ‘will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’ Consider your footsteps for a moment; the ways in which you follow the light of the world…

As the passage is read again, imagine the Pharisees hearing these words of Jesus… how much do you think they grasped?

As this time of prayer comes to a close, stay with a verse, a word, a phrase or a concept that has stayed with you. Mull these things over with the Lord now, as one friend speaks to another.

You have given all to me

To you, Lord, I return it

Everything is Yours

Do with it what you will

Give me only your love and your grace

That is enough for me.

Amen.