LET THERE BE LIGHT!

Memorial of St. Dominic

Lk 9:57-62

The years 1200 through 1500 are commonly referred to as the “Middle Ages”. That period in world history is also often times called “The Dark Ages”. It is considered a bleak time because it was an era of wars, diseases, sufferings and immense human poverty. Islam was also the encroaching communism of that day. Sad to say, corruption pervaded even in church circles. Corruption in the Church, in fact, was its height and reformation within her was badly needed. By now, we should be less surprised about the fact that that period in Church history led to Martin Luther’s protest and the birth of Protestantism.

But to refer to the years 1200 through 1500 as “The Dark Ages” is not totally accurate. Yes, there were wars, sufferings, corruption. But there were also moments of grace. Yes, it was dark but not always. The light of grace sparked even brighter because of the darkness.

No other period in the history of the world did humanity produce countless saints than the period called “The Dark Ages”. It was the time of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Bonaventure, St. Camillus de Lellis, St. Bridget, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Robert Belarmine, St. Charles Borromeo, St. Francis Xavier, St. Clare, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and St. Dominic de Guzman, to name just a few. These men and women outstanding in holiness are luminaries that provided the Church the light she needed in the darkest moment of human history.

When it is dark, it is not totally dark for God. He directs us through the darkness that engulfs us. He sends us luminaries. He gives us heroes and heroines. He blesses us with saints. St. Dominic de Guzman (1170-1221), outstanding in learning and holiness, founder of the Order of Preachers, is one of God’s luminaries that first shone during the Dark Ages and continues shining until today.

The statue of St. Dominic shows a dog standing next to him and biting a lighted torch. St. Dominic was the watchdog of the Church against the false teaching of his time. By his learning and exemplary holiness, he defended the teachings of the Church from heresies, particularly the Albengensian heresy. He was a hero of truth and an example of fidelity to the Catholic Church.

Today, more than ever, we need heroes and saints like St. Dominic. There is a very strong tendency today towards relativism that blurs moral truth. We need more honest people who will defend the truth as proclaimed to us by Christ. While there is a growing regard for the Church as outmoded and for her teachings as impractical nowadays, we need more people who are faithful to the Church and her teachings. Will we be those people? Can we be heroes of truth? Can we be shining examples of fidelity to the Church?

No period in the history of the world can be too dark if we dare to be heroes and saints. Let us be that light that refuses to surrender human race to an era of darkness. Let us follow Jesus.

Let there be light!