More Light to Come

I write this in the middle of a heat wave. It engulfs and knocks you off your feet. But at the height of summer it’s hardly surprising. In Shakespeare’s sonnet, his wistful words, ‘Summer’s lease hath all too short a date,’ will be borne out with the coming of cold and relentless winter winds.  In the middle of the year, seasons and religious events run in parallel, one reflecting the other. For instance, the birthday of John the Baptist marks the middle of summer. Other than Jesus’ birth in late December, John the Baptist is the only saint or notable person whose birthday on June 24,th as opposed to day of death, is celebrated. The reason for this is because he was seen as a precursor of Jesus’ own birth. The Church chose the middle of summer, near the summer solstice, to celebrate John’s birth because it marks the turn towards winter and the birth of Christ.After 24th June, the days become shorter and colder as winter draws in until six-months later towards the end of December Jesus is born. From about that time in mid-winter the days lengthen to show in both senses of the word the effect of the coming of the light: the light of the sun and the light of the incarnate Jesus which illuminates the world by his earthly presence.