A light brighter than the Stars. 06/15/25. Chima Offurum.

As a priest, my reflection guide follows the Church (Catholic) pattern and seasons unless a different need suggests otherwise. Last Sunday, we concluded the Easter season with the celebration of Pentecost. However, even with our return to the Ordinary Time in the Church’s liturgical year, we keep our heads up for the weekly celebrations of Easter during our Sunday gatherings. Our journey through the year moves in a beautiful cycle, like a bicycle wheel, from the season of Advent through the many celebrations in between, including the Christmas season, Lent, Easter, the Ordinary Time, and culminating in the annual feast of Christ the King, to bring the liturgical year full circle.
It is pertinent to note that as we travel around this wheel, our personalities emerge in various hues, sometimes encouraging and uplifting, and other times less so. Reflecting on the liturgy of Thursday in Week Ten, I reminded my listeners that our call as Christians is to mirror who we truly are as God’s children: “salt of the earth” and “light of the world,” so that our righteousness may exceed not just that of those outside the faith, but point the way to the ideal life (Matthew 5:20). Following this aspiration, while it may seem like a spiritual contest between the different religions and spiritualities, our aim isn’t to outshine others but to be who God created us to be simply, beacons of excellence and hope. The letter to the Romans (5:1-5) added our justification by faith, urging growth through regular afflictions by weaknesses to produce the endurance that leads to a proven character by the power of God, showing a light brighter than the stars.
Therefore, despite the falls that make us cover up in shame, much like the veil the children of Israel bowed behind when confronted with God’s holiness (2 Cor 2:15), we have reasons to look up in the hope that our failures do not define us. No matter what, we are God’s children, as long as we aim to strive for holiness, push the limits, and elevate our standards. We recognize that we don’t always finish as strongly as we want sometimes and that we falter. However, the Word of God urges us to stand back up and to keep walking toward the light. When we keep our heads up and focus on our goals of positive living, we truly honor our identity. The message here is that it is not by never failing, but by rising again each time we do.