Today’s Gospel is probably the most famous of all gospels thanks to the Evangelical community writing it everywhere they can find. However, like all short quotes, there is more there than what is first portrayed.

Of course, the verse is that God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son that anyone who believes in Him might not perish but may have eternal life. Further the Gospel seems to indicate that all we have to do is believe in Jesus Christ and we are saved. That is true to a point, but only to a point.

That is because the verse continues and reiterates that those who believe in Jesus Christ are saved, but that many reject this offer for they prefer their deeds of darkness more than the light of Christ. Indeed, look further and see that people who prefer the deeds of darkness and wickedness actually hate Jesus.

It is time we look at the facts of the spiritual life. Many may look at the first part of this passage and celebrate God’s love for the world and His infinite mercy.

There are people in the world, in society and even in the church who prefer their wicked deeds to the mercy of God and His promise of eternal life and there is nothing anyone of us can do about it except to pray for their conversion.

Many people have this image of the Church as being filled with good holy people who do nothing but good things all their life and then when they see someone do evil things in the name of the Church they lose their faith. They see the same thing in the world, but they are not as shocked. Others in the world believe that all people need is a little re-education and they can turn from evil to good. However, the Gospel clearly says that there are people who will always prefer their deeds of darkness to the light and they even reject Christ, His Church, His message and His promise. Yes, they are real, and you and I must do all we can not to be them. But we have to be aware that they are real and discern who is whom. Jesus Himself elsewhere gives us a similar warning and a message of discernment: By their fruits you will know them.

There is an important message here. God’s love is like sunlight. It shines all all around us, but there are those who reject sunlight and do all they can to avoid it. Likewise, as we see in the passage, God’s love is equally universal, with the Father sending the Son to redeem the world. However, there are those who reject His love and instead seek their wicked deeds, ideas and ways of living, rejecting Christ. The Bible is filled with this reality, especially in the Book of Revelation. Over and over you see the message that no matter what God did, people refuse to repent and embrace Him. You can see it play itself out everyday in the headlines, where people embrace deeds of darkness and reject any concept of the true light. Look at the people who defend Isis and then slam Christianity. That is a classic example.

Those who seek the light of Christ are transformed in Christ and become filled with divine wisdom. They grow in their ability to the see the truth that sets us free and experience the path to salvation. Others prefer their own ways, their deeds of darkness and daily they grow blinder to the truth. They become unable to discern the light from darkness. They embrace wickedness and evil daily. One example I always bring up here is of course the drug dealer.

I’ve also been in social justice circles where people just virtually turn all kinds of colors when you so much as mention Jesus’ name and make it clear that His name is not permitted there. Even in the Church, I am always wary of anyone who speaks of religion or spirituality and never mentions Jesus’ name. That to me is always a warning sign. You may be listening to someone who embraces the darkness and rejects the light. Finally, one of the most powerful ways to discern someone’s true faith is how they treat priests. I have seen it myself. The person who rejects priests or the priesthood even if they appear holy usually prove themselves to be false and God help the priest who does not take his priesthood seriously. The admonition of St. John Chrysostom applies. St. Paul reminds us to test the spirits, which is to discern that which is of God and that which is not.

Jesus promise is real. If you seek Christ by following the path He lays out for your in His Church, by being people of prayer, eternal life is yours. However, know there are those who even if they appear to seek Christ, reject Him and live a hidden life of preferring wickedness and deeds of darkness to the truth that sets us free. We can easily be drawn into their web if we are not wise, but the more we draw closer to the light of Christ, the more we can see the truth and and discern the path to freedom and eternal life. We can also see better those who draw close to the darkness and wickedness while appearing falsely to be angels of light. We can live a life that glorifies God and shines His light into the darkness a light that forces the wicked into the crevices of the darkness they prefer into the underground where they can hide from God’s glory and away from us. Never compromise with evil, always embrace Christ especially in the Eucharist, repent of your sins regularly especially in confession and salvation is yours.