On the Threshold-Week 4

"When the soul is illuminated by the light of love, it opens to the world as a holy and sacred place."  - John O'Donough

A Poem : Revelation

And then it comes—a rush, a bursting,
the quiet split by joy’s bright cry,
as light pours forth in golden rivers,
washing the night in its sacred fire.

Every shadow flees, undone,
dissolved in the radiant tide;
the world stands bare, exposed and glowing,
baptized in heaven’s blazing truth.

Oh, to witness this holy unveiling,
this ancient promise brought to life—
a light so pure it silences all fear,
so fierce it gentles every wound.

In this brilliance, all things are known:
each hidden sorrow, each weary hope,
held tenderly in mercy’s embrace,
lifted into love’s boundless dawn.

Let your soul dance in this ecstasy,
for it was made for this, born for this—
to stand unshaken in the flood of grace,
and let the Divine’s own light shine through.

Now you are both witness and vessel,
a spark carried from that endless flame,
lit by the joy that heals the world—
the gift of the Eternal, forever revealed.

For Thought

What does it mean to you to "live in the light of revelation"? How might you carry the radiance of divine love into the shadows of the world around you? 

[For Use as Sermon, Small Group Reflection or Personal Meditation]

Scripture Reading:  John 1:5

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." 

Message:  Sermon: Revelation—The Ecstasy of Divine Light

Opening Reflection
We stand today at a sacred threshold, held in the balance between shadow and light, between the known and the mystery that calls us forward. The poem Revelation invites us into a moment of profound wonder—a moment when the divine light bursts forth, not as something distant but as an intimate awakening, a recognition that the sacred has always been here, waiting to be revealed.

In the Celtic spiritual tradition, such moments are described as thin places—spaces where the veil between heaven and earth is barely there, where the divine seems to shimmer through the ordinary. This worldview, so deeply rooted in the rhythms of nature and the cycles of life, reminds us that revelation is not confined to the extraordinary. Instead, it is woven into the fabric of the everyday, waiting for us to pause, to notice, and to step into its radiance.

The Celtic Vision of Light
In Celtic spirituality, light is more than a physical phenomenon; it is a sacred force that reveals truth, nurtures life, and connects us to the divine. The rising sun, the flicker of a candle, or the gleam of moonlight on water—each becomes a reflection of the greater Light, the Creator’s presence in all things.

The poem Revelation captures this beautifully:

"Here, in this moment,
The light erupts—
Not as something alien,
But as what was always there."

The Celtic tradition teaches that revelation often comes as recognition. It is not so much a new thing but a deep seeing of what has always been. When St. Patrick stood among the green hills of Ireland and spoke of the Creator, he did not separate God from the land. Instead, he saw the divine within it, in every blade of grass, in every flowing stream.

This is the revelation we are invited into—not a light that blinds, but one that awakens; not a light we chase, but one that rises within and around us, calling us to open our eyes and hearts to its beauty.

The Light Within the Darkness
As we journey through Advent, we are reminded that revelation often comes in the midst of darkness. The Christ child was born in the stillness of night, and it was in the dark fields that the shepherds saw the angelic light. The Celtic Christian tradition embraces this paradox, holding the tension between shadow and light as sacred.

In the ancient hymn “Be Thou My Vision,” the singer prays for divine light to guide their way:
"Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
Naught be all else to me, save that thou art."

The light we seek is not something external to us. It is the presence of God within, the illumination of the soul that allows us to see clearly, to live fully, and to love deeply.

The Call to Ecstasy
The poem speaks of ecstasy—not in the sense of a fleeting emotion but as a profound encounter with the sacred. To experience the ecstasy of divine light is to step into the fullness of life, to feel the presence of God in the air we breathe and the ground beneath our feet. It is to know, as the Celtic poet John O’Donohue wrote, that “The divine is all around us, but we often fail to recognize it.”

"The shadows cannot deny it;
The earth sighs in its glow.
We are alive within it,
Awake to the holy unfolding."

This is the heart of Celtic spirituality: a recognition that we are part of the sacred dance, that the divine light flows through us and through all creation. Revelation calls us to join this dance, to step into the ecstasy of divine love and to let it transform us.

Living the Revelation
What does it mean to live in the light of revelation? It means carrying that light into the world, becoming a reflection of the divine for others. It means seeing the sacred in every person, every moment, and every place.

It also means embracing the rhythms of creation—pausing to rest, to listen, to be present. As the Celtic theologian Pelagius wrote, “The presence of God is as close to us as the air we breathe.” Revelation is not about striving; it is about being open, awake, and alive to what is already here.

Closing Prayer
Holy Light,
Illuminate our hearts,
Awaken our souls to your presence,
And guide us to walk in your radiance.

May we see you in the earth and sky,
Feel you in the stillness and the song,
And know you in the depths of our being.

Let your light shine through us,
Bringing healing, hope, and joy to the world.

Amen.

May we, like the poet, live in the ecstasy of divine light revealed, awake to the holy unfolding that surrounds us.

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Moment of Musical Reflection

Awake, Awake -