Welcome to The Light, your quiet hour of reflection.
Russell Brand's baptism drew Bear Grylls to bear witness, and Grylls has spoken warmly of Brand's apparent sincerity in faith. Yet a London jury has since convicted Brand of rape and sexual assault, leaving Grylls to offer a measured reminder that Christians are called to love and serve any person, however complicated the terrain of that calling becomes.
From that tension, we turn toward clarity of purpose. Pope Leo the Fourteenth met with the Casavalle Community in Uruguay, one of Montevideo's most vulnerable neighborhoods, and said plainly that Christians cannot turn a blind eye or silence their consciences in the face of injustice. He called the Church and civil society to work together, not separately, toward the common good.
And in Guatemala, a new blessed was named. Franciscan Father Augusto Rafael Ramírez Monasterio was beatified in Antigua, honored for his defense of the seal of confession, a choice that ultimately cost him his life. Cardinal Robles Ortega prayed that his humility and solidarity would take root in Guatemalan families for generations to come.
Three stories, each asking something of us. That's this hour's reflection. Carry the light gently.
