Barb Spies, OFS, Director of Mission Services and Pastoral Care

Smart phones are amazing tools. Of course, they are telephones that keep us connected to each other like our old land lines used to. They let us send text messages, emails and participate in video conversations. They allow us to join conference calls through Zoom or Teams. They connect us to the internet and all kinds of social media. But, one way I use my smart phone almost daily is as a flashlight! That little light is very bright. I can find things on the floor of my car. I can see in the back of the pantry. I can search for something in a room without having to turn on the bright overhead light if there is a sleeping grandbaby nearby. I can light my path through the house before everyone else in the house wakes up.

We use headlights in our cars to see the path ahead as well. The left turn that comes up quickly can still be found because our headlights reflect off of the intersection sign. We can avoid hazards and stay in our lanes because of those lights. Oncoming cars, pedestrians, deer, and innumerable other things we encounter on the road can be seen in our lights.

The New Year is a new path that we shine our lights on as well. We map out plans, making lists of goals and expectations. But what is our source of light for those plans? It always makes me smile to find “This Little Light of Mine” in a church hymnal. It’s a reminder of the light we carry within ourselves. We are told by scripture to “Let your light so shine that others might see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)” Just like the little light on our phones or the headlights on a vehicle, we hope to see as far ahead as possible. And just like with our phones and our headlights, we carry that light with us. May our plans for the New Year continue to shine our light well and to glorify God. 

Blessed Angela: “Strive for an increasingly more perfect union with Jesus.”