Let your light shine

Turning on my light

Her eyes brimmed with sorrow as she whispered, “Pope… I’m at my breaking point.” She paused, collecting the strength to say what had long weighed on her: “They’ve created this mess and made me look like the bad person.” Tears rolled down her cheeks as her voice cracked. I reached out and shared my own experience, hoping it might ease the burden, even a little.

For a long time, I also found myself in a draining battle with people whose actions and intentions were hidden in shadows—manipulative, deceptive, and quietly corrosive. Their behaviour wounded me in ways that weren’t always visible, but deeply felt. I tried so earnestly to make them see the pain they were causing. I spoke to them, explained, reasoned… hoping my vulnerability would awaken theirs. But it was like shouting into the wind. Nothing changed. I was virtually drowning in my tears but no one understood my plight.

On one of my many sleepless nights, exhausted and deep in thought, I heard these words:

“Darkness is simply the absence of light. To drive out darkness, let your light shine.”

It stopped me in my tracks. I realised I had been so focused on trying to fix others that I had overlooked the dim places within myself. So I turned inward. I dug deep to find the parts of me that had flickered out—the joy, the peace, the self-worth, managing my expectations, making me responsible for my happiness and renewing my commitment to my God. And slowly, with intention and prayer, I began to reignite them.

That shift was everything. I let go of the burden of changing others. I surrendered the weight to God. I started building a life grounded in simplicity, anchored in truth, and protected by boundaries that honoured my spirit. I now choose silence and distance over drama. It hasn’t been a straight path—and I’m still healing—but something beautiful is happening. The light is growing. I can feel it chasing away the darkness.

Introspection
1. Like me and my friend, are you weighed down by all the chaos happening around you and busily trying to fix everything and everyone but you?
2. Isn’t it time to put on your own light?

Reflection

Trying to fix everything and everyone often leaves us drained, not fulfilled. Why not redirect that energy inward, where growth is guaranteed and peace is possible?

The authentic, resilient version of us isn’t built by controlling chaos but by nurturing our inner truth. Why not start where the noise ends: inside?

We build peace by becoming the calm inside the storm. It starts with intentional choices, clear boundaries, and choosing stillness when the world screams for reaction. Peace isn’t passive but a daily act of self-respect.

Serenity

We cannot always prevent birds from flying over our heads but we can always prevent them from making their nest on our heads through strategic repositioning and realignment.

May we dare to light our own light. Amen