Day 15 · The Nativity Fast
A Great Light
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. The light has shined on those who lived in the land of the shadow of death.”Isaiah 9:2
Reflection
Isaiah spoke to a land that had been invaded and humiliated, “Galilee of the nations,” and to exactly those people he promised a great light. St Matthew tells us that Jesus began his preaching in Galilee to fulfil this word (Matthew 4:13-16). For those of us in the northern half of the world, the Nativity Fast falls in the darkest weeks of the year, and the Church sings of Christ as the Light. It is not a light that pretends the darkness is not there. It is a light that shines in it.
A prayer
Christ our Light, you shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. Shine into the dark places of my life, and into the lives of those I love. Let me not be afraid of your light, but walk in it. Amen.
Carry this with you
Light a candle or lamp before an icon tonight, and pray for someone who is in darkness.