"JESUS spoke to them again, 'I AM the Light of the world; the one who follows ME will not walk in darkness, but will have light and life.' The Pharisees replied, 'Now YOU are speaking on YOUR own behalf, YOUR testimony is worthless.'
Then JESUS said, 'Even though I bear witness to MYSELF, MY testimony is true, for I know where I have come from and where I AM going. But you do not know where I came from or where I AM going.
You judge by human standards; as for ME, I don't judge anyone. But if I had to judge, MY judgment would be valid for I AM not alone: the FATHER who sent ME is with ME. In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid; so I AM bearing witness to MYSELF, and the FATHER who sent ME bears witness to ME.'
They asked HIM, 'Where is YOUR FATHER?' JESUS answered, 'You don't know ME or MY FATHER; if you knew ME, you would know MY FATHER as well.'
JESUS said these things when HE was teaching in the temple area, in the place where they received the offerings. No one arrested HIM, because HIS hour had not yet come." - John 8:12-20
(JESUS is the light for all people of all times. GOD guided the Hebrews in the desert by means of a luminous cloud. HE guides us through HIS Son; whoever follows JESUS will not walk in darkness.
Light means many good things: the welcome light of dawn after a night of darkness; the electric lights which illumine our homes while darkness reigns outside; the street lights which shine for everyone, poor and rich alike; the light that triumphs over the dark forces of evil and ignorance. CHRIST is all that and more for whoever follows HIM. HE is the light by which we live with wholeness and integrity, and through whom we learn to attribute to material things and human activities their proper value.
By the light of CHRIST a person triumphs over all inner darkness. We are conscious of only a small part of our inner self; we often obey impulses not under our control that come from our nature. Good intentions animate us , and we have a clean heart [so we think], but we do not realize that actually we often obey the call "of flesh and blood," as Scripture puts it. If we live in the light, the light will gradually illumine our innermost being.
Part of the human condition aggravated by sin is the absence of light for seeking and discerning what is good. Therefore, in serious matters, it is not wise to simply follow our first impulse. We need to be continuously enlightened through prayer, listening to the word of GOD, studying the teaching of the Church, and accepting the good advice of our brothers and sisters. By these means JESUS enlightens our conscience.)
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