Advent, Day 9: La Luz

LOOK: Magna #1 by Luciano Cian

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LISTEN: “La Luz” by Brother Isaiah, on Shade (2020)

You are the light of the world, yeah, yeah
You are the light of the world, yeah, yeah
You are the light, Lord, yes, you are the light

Well come alight, come fire, come and burn in me
Come alight, come fire, come and burn in me
Come alight, come fire, come and burn in me
Come and burn in me, yeah

Well I was sitting in the darkness
Waiting for the daybreak
Sweet dawn from on high
Come and break upon me, I pray
’Cause dawn seem so far away
’Cause dawn seem so far away
But he said, “Hope and watch and wait
Watch and pray
You know me coming, Sonny
You know me don’t delay
They call me New Sunshine
They call me New Daybreak
They call me Sweet Dayspring
’Cause with my help my kingdom bring

“So wait child”—and so I wait
I heard him say, “Pray child”—and so I prayed
I pray, “Light from light, come and drown on me now”
Me say, “Light from light, come and shine on me now”
Light from light, come and shine on me now
Me say, “Life from light from light”

You are the light of the world, yeah, yeah
You are the light of the world, yeah, yeah
You are the light, Lord, yeah, yeah, you are the light

Well come alight, come fire, come and burn in me
Come alight, come fire, come and burn in me
Come alight, come fire, come and burn in me
Come and burn in me, yeah

Well in the middle of the night
Beneath the starlight
I was sitting in the dark when I heard a cry
Singing, “Glory, glory, glory!”
There was angels singing, “Glory, glory, glory!”

Then in the quiet of my heart
There came a little light shining
Daystar rising, breaking through my night
And then a light from on high
Broke upon me inside
Like a fire burning bright
Put the darkness to flight

With all that glory, glory, glory
There was angels singing, “Glory, glory, glory!”
There was angels singing, “Glory, glory, glory!”
And all of heaven ringing, “Glory, glory, glory!”
And then my soul was singing, “Glory, glory, glory!”
There was singing, there were: “Glory, glory, glory!”

You are the light of the world, yeah, yeah
Yes, you are the light of the world, yeah, yeah
Yes, you are the light, Lord, yeah, you are the light, yeah

Come alight, come fire, come and burn in me
Come alight, come fire, come and burn in me
Come alight, come fire, come and burn in me
Come and burn in me, yeah

Come alight, come fire, come and burn in me
Come alight, come fire, come and burn in me
Come alight, come fire, come and burn in me
Come and burn in me, yeah

’Cause you’re the light of the world, yeah, yeah
Yes, you’re the light of the world, yeah, yeah
You’re the light, Lord, yes, you are the light
Yes, you are the light of the world, yeah, yeah
You are the light of the world, yeah, yeah

Yes, you are the light, Lord, yes, you are the light
Yes, you are the light, Lord, yes, you are the light

Fr. Isaiah Marie Hofmann, CFR, is a newly ordained priest with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, an institute founded in the South Bronx in 1987 by eight Capuchin friars desiring to work more definitively for personal and communal reform within the Catholic Church. Their mission is twofold: service to the materially poor, and evangelization. Father Isaiah joined this community as a lay brother in 2008, after graduating from Boston College, where he played lacrosse.

During his time as a friar, he has released four albums under the name Brother Isaiah: Shade (2020), Shade, Season 2 (2020), Poco a Poco (2018), and Broomstick (2016). “Music is where I wrestle with God—and where I find God,” he says.