Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 7, 2025
Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have
the light of life.” So the Pharisees said to him, “You testify
on your own behalf, so your testimony cannot be verified.”
Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I do testify
on my own behalf, my testimony can be verified,
because I know where I came from and where I am going.
But you do not know where I come from or where I am going.
You judge by appearances, but I do not judge anyone.
And even if I should judge, my judgement is valid,
because I am not alone, but it is I and the Father
who sent me. Even in your law it is written
that the testimony of two men can be verified.
I testify on my behalf and so does the Father who sent me.”
So 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 teaching in the treasury in the temple area.
But no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
Where I live in North Texas, we look forward to the warmer temperatures and extended daylight in Spring. However, we dread another possible aspect of the transitions of Spring—thunderstorms and tornadoes. To prepare for this, I keep a large flashlight, candles, and a candle lighter in a convenient place to access in case of a power outage. When this happens, fumbling around in the darkness of night during an outage is unnerving, but knowing I can quickly restore a ray of light is comforting.
Today’s passage reminded me of that comforting feeling when Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Jesus is our eternal source of light. Think about that! He never loses power! By stating this, Jesus is declaring his divine identity and purpose. He calls us to follow him so that his light can reflect in our lives.
Darkness in the Bible can refer to evil, falsehoods, sin, confusion, wrongdoings, turning from God, and impaired minds and hearts. When the darkness and sin of this world try to destroy us, we can lean into the light of Jesus and his word to uplift our despair, comfort our minds and hearts, and provide spiritual guidance and truth.
Today, the Pharisees accused Jesus of an invalid testimony. Jesus replied, “Even if I do testify on my own behalf, my testimony can be verified because I know where I came from and where I am going.” This speaks to us as well.
When we follow God, we know who he says we are because of his word. Since Jesus is the light of the world, and when we follow him, he is the light in us. In turn, we can share this light with others in our lives. We have the opportunity to let our little lights shine and make a difference in the world!
Prayer
Father, your beloved Son Jesus was anointed in the Spirit and brought your healing love to our world. We pray that Christ, the light of the world, will sustain us always in faith, hope and love.
Saint of the Day
St. John Baptist de la Salle is a patron saint of teachers and all those who work in education because he founded Catholic schools and revolutionized Christian education.
He was born in 1651 to a wealthy family in Reims, France, the eldest of 10 children. He went on to university studies and then entered the seminary, but had to leave because both of his parents had died, and John was left as the head of the household. Six years later, he finished his studies and was ordained a priest. He went on to earn a doctorate in theology.
John became associated with a community of religious sisters who educated young girls, serving as their chaplain. His connection with their work flourished, and he began to adopt their mission for education. He lived in a time when there was a large gap between the wealthy and the poor, and he believed that education was the best tool for those living on the margins to improve their lives and grow in holiness.
He was asked to help found a school, and he went to great lengths to support the teachers there, who lacked training and qualified leadership. He gathered them for meals in his own home, which was a big step at that time because he was still of the upper class.
He eventually founded a new religious community, the Institute of the Brothers of Christian Schools, known as the Christian Brothers (these Lasallian Brothers are a different order than the Irish Christian Brothers, who were founded by Blessed Edmund Rice). Looking back, he could say that he had no intention of becoming so involved—he began with the expectation that he would support teachers materially from his resources and offer supervision. Over time, however, he was drawn ever deeper into the mission of education through these teachers, to the point where he joined his life with theirs. He abandoned his family home and inheritance, left an important position with the Church, and dedicated his life to forming teachers.
By the end of his life, John and the brothers in his community had established a network of schools throughout France that taught students in the vernacular (not Latin), grouped them according to their ability, taught both religious and secular subjects, trained teachers in both skill and mission, and integrated parents into the educational endeavor.
One of his most lasting contributions was the way John pioneered the training of lay teachers. Today, his community of brothers contains some 6,000 men who work with many other collaborators to teach nearly a million students every year.
John died on this date in 1719, and his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Notre Dame's campus. He is depicted in the Basilica in a stained glass window that portrays Catholic educators surrounding Jesus—he is the figure standing on the right.
St. John Baptist de la Salle, patron saint of all those who work in education—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. John Baptist de la Salle is in the public domain. Last accessed February 13, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
