The Light She Carried

Each year, as winter deepens and daylight fades, Christmas lights begin to appear. They line rooftops and windows, tracing the dark with warmth and promise. These small flames against the night stir something within me—a longing for light that does not fail. For the Catholic, this longing finds its fulfillment not in decoration, but in a Child, carried into the world by His Mother.

Sacred Scripture proclaims:

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5)

That Light did not arrive suddenly or violently. He came hidden within the womb of the Virgin Mary, who bore the Light of the world in silence, faith, and surrender.

Before the Christmas lights shine, there is dusk. Before the Sun rises, there is dawn. The Church has long seen Mary as this dawn—the one who announces the coming Light. At the Annunciation, Mary’s fiat—“Let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38)—became the moment when Light entered the darkness of the world. Christ, the eternal Word, took flesh within her. She did not generate the Light, but she received Him, bore Him, and gave Him to the world.

Christmas lights reflect this Marian mystery. They do not shine by their own power; they receive light and make it visible. Mary is the most perfect reflection of Christ—transparent, humble, and radiant with a borrowed brilliance that points entirely to Him.

The Light of the world chose not only to be born of Mary, but to dwell with her—to be nurtured, protected, and presented to the world through her maternal care. Wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, Christ was first shown to the world through Mary’s arms.

Christmas lights remind me that light is most beautiful when it is sheltered and arranged with care. Strands intertwined, bulbs placed intentionally—nothing random, nothing wasted. God, too, arranged His coming with divine intention, choosing Mary as the vessel through whom Light would gently enter human history.

Blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled. (Luke 1:45)

Mary never keeps the Light for herself. She carries Him to Elizabeth. She presents Him to the shepherds. She offers Him in the Temple. Always, Mary’s role is to reveal Christ.

In this, she becomes the model for the Church and for every believer. At baptism, I received Christ’s light, but like Mary, I am called to bear Him outwardly—to reflect Him in charity, humility, truth and by the way I live my life.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord… the Almighty has done great things for me.  (Luke 1:46,49)

Christmas lights, strung together, shine more brilliantly when united. So too, the light of Christ shines more radiantly when reflected through a people who, like Mary, say yes to God’s will and magnify the Lord with our lives.

When Christmas ends and the lights are stored away, Mary remains—still pointing me to her Son. She stands at the heart of the Church, reminding me that the Light once carried in her womb is now present in the Eucharist, alive in the Word, and at work in the hidden places of my life... in all our lives.

Christ’s light does not fade with the season. It grows in me when I allow Mary to teach me how to receive Him—quietly, faithfully, and without reserve.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.  (Is 9:2)

As this new year begins, full of the hope of Christ, I encourage you to ask Our Lady to come into your heart so that you become what she is: a bearer of the Light, a reflection of His glory, and a living testimony that no darkness can overcome Him.  I praise God for His eternal Light.  Thank you, sweet Jesus, my precious Bridegroom!

Nicky Verna, Copyright 2026