We made it.
We got through January 24th, the worst day of the year. A group in Great Britain came up with this date a few years ago and designated it as the worst of any of the 365 in a given year.
Why January 24? For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the weather is cold and dark, for all of us the holidays are really, really over, our new year’s resolutions may have faltered and for some the reality of Christmas spending is just arriving in the mail with credit card bills. I know in my head we have more sunlight with each passing day, but I can’t see it yet.
Into the midst of this cold, bleak darkness, comes the good news of Isaiah, repeated in the Gospel, courtesy of the Sunday readings two days ago.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing.
Into the worst day of the year, our faith invites us to rejoice and wallow in abundant joy. Jesus came to be with us in the darkness, with us in our sorrows and struggles as well as in the light and dancing.
That’s good news on any day.
Image by filipeb under Creative Commons license.
It is my nephew’s birthday on January 24th, so it is never the worst day of the year for our family. Also, living in the southern hemisphere, it is of course high-summer- and it is difficult to be sad about the day when the sun is shining!