The theme in today's Gospel is the relationship between God and the world. A few very important statements are made:

l God loves the world, the whole world and all of it. He loves it so much that he gave his only Son, who died a terrible death as proof of that love. God's love is total and unconditional for every one of his creatures. But to experience the life that comes from God we need to give our whole selves to him in deep faith and trust.

l God did not send his Son to condemn the world but that it might be saved through him. We must constantly remind ourselves of this.

l Whoever fully believes in Jesus - in heart, word and deed - has nothing to fear. God's love never changes but we can close the door to it and go our own way - but that will not be the way to life. It is never God who abandons us; it is we who abandon him. We condemn ourselves when we deliberately prefer darkness to light. We put ourselves beyond the reach of his love.

It might be good for us to reflect today on those dark corners of our life - present and past - which we keep hidden from others. Why do we hide these things? The person who lives in the light, the person of integrity and wholeness, has nothing whatever to hide.