“And God said: Let there be lights made in the firmament of heaven, to divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years: to shine in the firmament of heaven, and to give light upon the earth. And it was so done. And God made two great lights: a greater light to rule the day; and a lesser light to rule the night: and the stars. And he set them in the firmament of heaven to shine upon the earth. And to rule the day and the night, and to divide the light and the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And the evening and morning were the fourth day.
Consider, Theophila, the goodness of divine ordering, for He sees that all things are in need of ordering and oversight: “Let every soul be subject to higher powers” (Romans 13:1). Because light already existed: “And God said: ‘Be light made.’ And light was made” (Genesis 1:3), this was less to institute light as much as to give the light a source and a way of determining seasons for man. What does this have to do with ordering? Just as the night and day without the sun and stars to indicate the passage of time are formless and too broad, so too is the way of I Love You too expansive, able to take quite simply too many different expressions: “Shew me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest in the midday, lest I begin to wander after the flocks of thy companions” (Canticle 1:6). Therefore, it is of great benefit to have one that rules the day, or a spiritual guide that shows you the patterns of love, that rejoices in your joy during the great times of consolation during the spiritual life: “And he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun” (Matthew 17:2) and your guide and encouragement when the night is dark: “The moon and the stars to rule the night: for his mercy endureth for ever” (Psalm 135:9); “If to the left hand, what shall I do? I shall not take hold on him: if I turn myself to the right hand, I shall not see him. But he knoweth my way, and has tried me as gold that passeth through the fire” (Job 23:9-10). Now, the sun, moon, and stars do not dictate your life, for you and Love do that, but are rather beautiful, created things that help you understand the divine nature in a greater way: “The heavens shew forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands” (Psalm 18:2). Further, these same luminaries were held as deities in many ancient cultures, and in truth they are adornments to the love story that is your life. How magnificent you are, who hold in your hand as a flower given to you by your Beloved those things which others heralded as gods, who are greater in dignity than that which dictates the very seasons: “Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in array?” (Canticle 6:9)! Consider too, Theophila, that these objects become sources of light, by which you see all that is beautiful, and give thanks for that which gives light to your eyes, just as you can always give thanks for the lights of Scripture and tradition that illumine your understanding to the way reality and love actually are. Now, God puts in two “great lights,” which are the sun and moon, and whereas other stars are greater in radiance and size, the sun and the moon have the most immediate impact on the world, showing that while there may be great missions and saints throughout the world that are more radiant than you, your love has the greater impact on those that are near you, for those are the ones that expect your presence and love, and in many instances need it: “If any man say, ‘I love God,’ and hateth his brother; he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God, whom he seeth not?” (1 John 4:20). Therefore, you can be a star to those that are afar off, shining brightly but in passing, but to those that are near, be a moon, a shining, great reflection of the heavenly light of love that illumines them through their nights of trials, that they may have a greater appreciation of the sun of love that keeps you radiant.