Christmas Light

December 24/25, 2025

My Dear Followers of Jesus,

A couple of weeks ago, I had an early morning appointment downtown to which I was a few minutes ahead of schedule. I sat in the parked car listening to Christmas music and as I looked out to the streets, I noticed a candle in the bedroom window of a two-story home. I could not take my eyes off that single, battery-powered light. The light before dawn opened in me a deep reflection on the light we illumine in and for the world.

I was captivated by the light glowing upon the falling snow and I began to wonder what the light meant for the homeowners.  I wondered if the small candle was a tribute to a family member who had died this past year, a grandparent who once lived in that upstairs bedroom. Or might the candle represent a birth of a child this year of the new homeowners who moved in after many years in their first apartment. Perhaps the light was drawing people to a celebration of commitment and to newborn joy. Or maybe the light was just a reminder to the neighbors that life is worth living and that light keeps the darkness of violence and loneliness at bay.

Perhaps that single light helps keep grief away from the dark corners in nations. Perhaps the homeowner is just tired of surrendering to negative talk and dark conversations. Perhaps it heralds hope from the light once captured in childhood and innocence. The light might be a tribute to faith, after all, to the Lord Jesus, who is the true Light of the World. Whatever the meaning behind the candle on the windowsill, it absolutely caught my attention that day before the sun overshadowed the tiny flicker.

I am still pondering the small light in the upper-floor window. My heart knows the waves of darkness we all encounter, the ways not to be free this Christmas. I know how darkness has swamped Christmas joy through the years when death of a loved one occurs, when divorce is real, when family disputes turn tragic. I am deeply aware the light may never fully overcome darkness for many people trapped in war zones or in severe ill health, in valleys of mental anguish or dementia.  I pray for the light you carry in your darkened corner of the world, the light you hold for others, for healing and for freedom.

No matter the darkness, I am more deeply aware of the Light of Christ this Christmas. In the night Jesus was born, angels and shepherds first told us not to be afraid and not to despair. From the darkness, holy ones in the night gave us hope to look up and to look within, the birth of our Messiah is here among us. Today, out of love, I am placing my heart in the sound of those shepherds’ voices, and in the presence of angels. A child this day is the presence of light, Jesus, born to us, who reveals a path out of our darkness and fear.

On this Christmas, I ask you to see, to really see, the people who have lit a candle to help you feel hope and love in your life. I ask you to sit in the mystery of your life and view the glimmer of peace and generosity you have known in your life that sheds hope upon the earth. I know for many people, Christmas is not their favorite time, yet, it is a time to see again and even again, the light that sets us free, the Light of Jesus Christ in our world. Take time to sit in the dark and let the angels help you overcome the obscurity with a single light, Jesus Christ, and allow his warmth to reveal kindness and tenderness within your heart.

                For whom do you keep a candle lit?

                For what reasons do you hold a light to the world?

                For what good is the light in your heart given to you by Christ Jesus?

May the voices of angels sing a new hymn of hope within you, may the shepherds guide you to the promise of the newborn Christ.

Merry Christmas,

God give you peace.

Fr. Ron Raab, CSC