Holy radiance

Wednesday in the First Week of Lent
Feast of St. Matthias

Restore us, O God of hosts;
show the light of your countenance,
and we shall be saved
Psalm 80:3

The sun has dropped below the horizon, and the vestiges of its light and warmth paint lovely orange streaks across the clouds. On the desk in front of me is a lighted candle and a fairy-light tree sculpture, while a reading lamp casts an amiable glow over my shoulder.

This day I have craved light. Not so much seeking brightness or illumination as comfort. Reassurance. Promise. A reminder of the power of what was first spoken into being. The radiance of the holy.

As the evening slowly envelops this part of the world, I remind myself that God perpetually holds each of us within her gaze. We are never beyond the light of the divine, which forever encompasses all of creation.

The darkness falls, a soft blanket wrapping me lovingly into the promise of salvation.

Photo credit: Anne E. Kitch