A reading from the gospel according to John 8:12-20:

12 When Jesus spoke to the people again, he said: I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the light of life.
13 At this the Pharisees said to him, ‘You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not true.’
14 Jesus replied: Even though I am testifying on my own behalf, my testimony is still true, because I know where I have come from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.
15 You judge by human standards; I judge no one,
16 but if I judge, my judgment will be true, because I am not alone: the one who sent me is with me;
17 and in your Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true.
18 I testify on my own behalf, but the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf, too.
19 They asked him, ‘Where is your Father then?’ Jesus answered: You do not know me, nor do you know my Father; if you did know me, you would know my Father as well.
20 He spoke these words in the Treasury, while teaching in the Temple. No one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

Reflection: Light and Darkness

Jesus can testify on His own because He is the light. He is the truth and definitely He does not need the testimony of human beings. Moreover, it is God the Father Himself who sent Him. Yet today, it is the mission of His followers to testify that indeed He is the light. May our words and actions be a living testimony to others and by doing so, we become the light of the world. This can only happen when we abide in Jesus, the one and only source of light.

Without Jesus, we live in darkness which is characterized by ignorance and sin. By rejecting Jesus, many people choose to live in darkness. They reject the light because it will reveal their ignorance and shame. On the other hand, accepting Jesus means choosing to be enlightened and deciding to turn away from our sins in order to live a new life. This is the offer of salvation. When we become a disciple of Jesus, our sins are forgiven and we become heir of His Kingdom where we shall live forever in peace and joy.