In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul uses the theme of darkness and light. He says that we must put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light. Darkness and light are metaphors for our spiritual lives. By becoming aware of the darkness and seeking to live in the light,
as Advent invites us, we are also preparing ourselves for the feast of the nativity.
However, darkness and light are not just about what we see. It is also about what we do. St. Ignatius Loyola drew our attention to the things we seek to keep in the dark. For St. Ignatius, the experiences we don’t want to speak about,
the things we don’t want to give attention to, and the memories we suppress, are all the things we should be looking at. He would say that this is a sign of the bad spirit at work because when we live in this manner, these things can also gain an inordinate power over us. We can use a lot of energy to keep them buried in the dark.
Ignatius saw the good spirit at work when the things we keep buried are brought into the light. He tells us that when we do this, it brings them not only light but also brings us to freedom – a freeing like nothing else.
St. Ignatius invites us to keep alert to how we trick ourselves
into keeping things secret and in the dark.
Are there things that you keep in the dark? Something you do not want to face or give attention to? Take some time today to speak to the Lord, as one good friend does to another. Speak about those parts of your life that live in the dark. Then, ask the Lord how best you can seek
freedom.
