Are you afraid of the dark?: Weekly Message for 11-9-2021

Dear Fellow Missionaries,

As we journey with the Lord, questions inevitably arise. “What do you ask of me?” “How are you calling me to love this person?” “Lord, why does evil sometimes seem so powerful, and you seem so fragile… Even though I believe that you have the real power.” And sometimes, perhaps, the answers aren’t as clear as we would like.

This points to a paradox in our relationship with God. The mystics tell us that the closer we draw to the Lord, Light from Light, the more we experience a sort of darkness. They often call this the night of faith. And yet, as Dominican Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange observed, there’s something curious about night. When we go outside after dark, we initially feel confused, disoriented, frightened. But if we stay in the darkness something marvelous happens: we can see the stars. We see beauty which is billions of miles away, this beauty which only the night reveals. In the same way, in the darkness of faith, we begin to see as God sees. We begin to see the stars. 

From the moment the angel left her, the Blessed Virgin Mary walked in this same darkness of faith; and she wants to help us on our own pilgrimage. With that in mind, as the days shorten and Advent draws near, we are delighted to offer a four-part video retreat exploring various attitudes of Mary’s heart. We hope this effort will enable all of us – wherever we are, and whatever we need – to glimpse the stars.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. John Pietropaoli, LC