The Gospel for MONDAY, June 27, 2005
Luke 22:52-62
Then Jesus said to the chief priests and captains of the Temple guard and elders who had come for him, ‘Am I a bandit, that you had to set out with swords and clubs? When I was among you in the Temple day after day you never made a move to lay hands on me. But this is your hour; this is the reign of darkness.’ They seized him then and led him away, and they took him to the high priest’s house. Peter followed at a distance. They had lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and Peter sat down among them, and as he was sitting there by the blaze a servant–girl saw him, peered at him, and said, ‘This man was with him too.’ But he denied it. ‘Woman, I do not know him,’ he said. Shortly afterwards someone else saw him and said, ‘You are one of them too.’ But Peter replied, ‘I am not, my friend.’ About an hour later another man insisted, saying, ‘This fellow was certainly with him. Why, he is a Galilean.’ Peter said, ‘My friend, I do not know what you are talking about.’ At that instant, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed, and the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered the Lord’s words when he had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will have disowned me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly. -- The New Jerusalem Bible. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1995, c1985
Reign of Darkness
When the lights are out, we think we can get away with acts too obvious in the full light of God's day.
A Reflection
The early Christians often called themselves "Children of the Light." And we have dozens of metaphors for good things that happen in the sunshine and perhaps more for the evil that tries to hide by cover of darkness.
As a sort of roving troubleshooter for my company, I ask a series of almost random questions when I encounter a troubled project; when I detect hesitance to answer, I know I've found a nerve, and by moving around that new focus, I can normally find two or three of the big issues in a relatively small amount of time.
People are astounded at how quickly I can uncover problems that have been "hidden" for quite a while.
They're even more astounded when I tell them how I do it. Most don't believe me. They think that I am hiding the true answer from them!
There is a good reason for having all the metaphors arranged the way that they are: our human psyches are wired in a way that is remarkably and aptly described in terms of those metaphors.
Let's all try to become true Children of the Light! Jesus preached in the daylight. So should we.
A Collect
Lord Jesus, you are the Light of the World, yet you endured the reign of darkness imposed by men with darkened minds; keep us always in your Light, precious Saviour of Souls. Amen
9:58:31 PM 
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