{"id":7602,"date":"2025-02-18T16:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T20:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/?p=7602"},"modified":"2025-02-17T21:09:47","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T01:09:47","slug":"a-light-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/pope-benedict-xvi\/a-light-in-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"A Light in the World"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"631\" height=\"619\" data-attachment-id=\"3082\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/spiritual-practices\/prayer-brings-light-of-the-soul\/attachment\/feb16a\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/feb16a.jpg?fit=631%2C619&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"631,619\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;movie&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1565798947&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"feb16a\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/feb16a.jpg?fit=625%2C613&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/feb16a.jpg?resize=625%2C613&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3082\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/feb16a.jpg?w=631&amp;ssl=1 631w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/feb16a.jpg?resize=300%2C294&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/feb16a.jpg?resize=624%2C612&amp;ssl=1 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Prayer is the light of the soul<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>T<strong>rue knowledge of God, a mediator between God and men. Prayer lifts the soul into the heavens where it embraces God in an indescribable way. Prayer is the desire for God, an indescribable devotion, not given by man but brought about by God\u2019s grace. As St Paul says: For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit himself intercedes on our behalf in a way that could never be put into words.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If God gives to someone the gift of such prayer, it is a gift of imperishable riches, a heavenly food that satisfies the spirit. Whoever tastes that food catches fire and his soul burns for ever with desire for the Lord.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>To begin on this path, start by adorning your house with modesty and humility. Make it shine brightly with the light of justice. Decorate it with the gold leaf of good works, with the jewels of faithfulness and greatness of heart. Finally, to make the house perfect, raise a gable above it all, a gable of prayer. Thus you will have prepared a pure and sparkling house for the Lord. Receive the Lord into this royal and splendid dwelling \u2014 in other words: receive, by his grace, his image into the temple of your soul.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">St John Chrysostom<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Prayer is the light of the soul True knowledge of God, a mediator between God and men. Prayer lifts the soul into the heavens where it embraces God in an indescribable way. Prayer is the desire for God, an indescribable devotion, not given by man but brought about by God\u2019s grace. As St Paul says: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[55,10,15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-evangelization","category-pope-benedict-xvi","category-spiritual-practices"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7bfMR-1YC","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3081,"url":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/spiritual-practices\/prayer-brings-light-of-the-soul\/","url_meta":{"origin":7602,"position":0},"title":"Prayer brings Light to the Soul","author":"monks4christ","date":"February 19, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Prayer is the light of the soul, true knowledge of God, a mediator between God and men. Prayer lifts the soul into the heavens where it embraces God in an indescribable embrace. Prayer is the desire for God, an indescribable devotion, not given by man but brought about by God\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Spiritual Practices&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Spiritual Practices","link":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/category\/spiritual-practices\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/feb16a.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/feb16a.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/feb16a.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1643,"url":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/spiritual-practices\/prayer-is-the-light-of-the-soul\/","url_meta":{"origin":7602,"position":1},"title":"Prayer is the Light of the Soul","author":"monks4christ","date":"February 16, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Prayer is the light of the soul, true knowledge of God, a mediator between God and men. Prayer lifts the soul into the heavens where it embraces God in an indescribable embrace. Prayer is the desire for God, an indescribable devotion, not given by man but brought about by God\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Spiritual Practices&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Spiritual Practices","link":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/category\/spiritual-practices\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/feb25.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/feb25.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/feb25.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4469,"url":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/spiritual-practices\/you-are-a-light-to-the-world\/","url_meta":{"origin":7602,"position":2},"title":"You are a light in the world","author":"monks4christ","date":"February 21, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Prayer is the light of the soul, true knowledge of God, a mediator between God and men. Prayer lifts the soul into the heavens where it embraces God in an indescribable embrace. 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When light enters our bodily eyes our eyesight is sharpened; when a soul is intent on God, God\u2019s inextinguishable light shines into it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Saints and Blesseds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Saints and Blesseds","link":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/category\/saints-and-blesseds\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/ASH.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/ASH.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/ASH.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7679,"url":"https:\/\/www.fatherboniface.org\/wordpresshome\/spiritual-practices\/ash-wednesday-5\/","url_meta":{"origin":7602,"position":5},"title":"Ash Wednesday","author":"monks4christ","date":"March 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Prayer the highest good The highest good is prayer and conversation with God, because it means that we are in God\u2019s company and in union with him. 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