By Fr. Glenn Jones

 A beautiful full moon rising above the mountains east of Albuquerque in a cloudless sky this evening … something I used to enjoy even more immensely looking east from the cliffs of Los Alamos as it bathed the Rio Grande valley in the softness of its light. Truly beautiful. Thank you, Lord.

Now, the more analytical among us could, of course, expound on the fact that the moon is really just a cold dark mass of rock and dust, devoid of both life and light, and that it simply reflects light from another source—that massive ball of hydrogen hidden from view which roils with constant fusion reaction, emitting electromagnetic radiation of various wavelengths, (etc.) Yeah, well … thanks for that. In the immortal words of Moe Howard: “Ain’t ya’ got no romance?!” “Woop…woop woop woop woop woop…”, responds Curly in his immortal eloquence.

How fortuitous, then, as we enjoy the full moon, our Gospel reading in the Catholic Mass this weekend … from just after the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, in which Jesus tells His disciples: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” What light is that? None other than loving God with whole heart and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves. 

Now, our non-believing friends might—like our analytic astronomer—expound that we are really just bags of molecules in which accompanying chemical reactions cause electrochemical impulses which give illusion of free will, independent spiritual thought, feelings, empathies, sympathies, seemingly-abstract thought, etc., … not to mention “love”. Without “something else”, how could these be anything else but mechanistic enslavement to physical elemental forces? After all, if one does not believe in the spiritual, there IS nothing else! 

And yet … doesn’t such true “mindlessness” in human life seem most unlikely and counterintuitive when we perceive and muse about our thoughts, abilities, propensities, etc. That there is nothing present but self-sustaining, self-regulating, self-replenishing chemical reaction? One might interpret the love of a parent for his/her child or beloved as simply chemical, hormonal, etc., but it sure seems a lot more than that. The complexity within even a single cell is mind-boggling, and yet … here we are … sacks of approximately 30 trillion of them, working cooperatively. Billions of these chemical bundles working cooperatively (for the most part) with other bags of 30 trillion cells for mutual goals. For decades. Cool. Getting men on our shining moon ain’t bad for sacks of chemicals!

Yes, the moon in scientific analysis simply reflects the light of the source of light—the sun … just as we as bags of chemicals are called to reflect the light of the Source of light—the Son … the Son of God. We Christians argue that humans are much more than simply mounds of molecules, but rather are animated with an immaterial spiritual soul reflective of the divine Artist which created it. One might use the analogy of a flashlight:  composed of bulb, filament, casing, etc., pretty dull in itself, but unseen batteries provide energy for its light. Likewise, the operation of the person is not animated by the body alone, but rather receives its spiritual energy from the soul. And, as St. John reminds us that “God is love” (1 John 4:16), that light which Jesus calls us to reflect is that light of love for one another … energized by God’s munificent grace.

But batteries by themselves run out of juice. Yet, as long as we remain connected to God by the “charging cord” of prayer, righteousness and good works, we are like tiny AAA batteries with Him as the power station…recharging us limitlessly with His grace. Even if we reject Him, He never ceases to call (think of St. Paul); always there is the divine largesse which never absolutely ceases … which holds out its hand to those sinking as He did with Peter 2000 years ago (Matthew 14:29-31). For God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4), and therefore: “The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance,” (2 Peter 3:9) … and thus He “…sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45)

We can reflect Christ’s light … or not; it is truly our free choice. Jesus warns us: “If the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Matthew 6:23) And yet, conversely, if even the darkness is supplanted by light, how great will be your light.

Thus says the LORD:
Share your bread with the hungry,
shelter the oppressed and the homeless;
clothe the naked when you see them,
and do not turn your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
If you remove from your midst
oppression, false accusation and malicious speech;
if you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday.

(Isaiah 58:7-10)

Rev. Glenn Jones is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.