#refulgence

Today’s first reading describes Wisdom (the Old Testament name for the Holy Spirit) as “the refulgence of eternal light.”

“Refulgence” isn’t a word you hear much. If ever.

It means shining, radiant with brilliance. Not as a reflection of something else. But shining forth, from what’s on the inside.

The thing is, that shining forth isn’t just how the Holy Spirit works. It’s also how you and I work.

The only thing that ever shines forth – from any of us – is what’s on our inside.

Your first impulse? That response you made without thinking? What you blurted out? That’s what’s shining forth, from your inside.

If your first impulse, what you blurt out, is full of hope, peace, patience, strength, wisdom, forgiveness, love, then you know what’s on your inside. You are full of the Holy Spirit. It’s only way that any of that can shine forth.

If your first impulse, what you blurt out, is full of other stuff. Stuff like fear, anger, scorn, derision, hatred, resentment, envy. Then that’s what you have filled yourself with. It’s only way that any of that can shine forth.

Today, listen to that first impulse, what you blurt out. If what’s shining forth isn’t full of hope, peace, patience, strength, wisdom, forgiveness, love? Then it’s time to change what you’re filling yourself with.

I tend to think that because Eden Shiva, like the others, is spun from WoL's memories, that perhaps that thought, consciously or subconsciously, of Ysayle's manipulation by the Ascians, of her life and story being cut short when she had just learned the truth and her friends having nothing left of her when she was lost, might have had an influence WoL didn't even realize, manifesting in ways that ended up saving Gaia. Hedging our own bets without realizing it, just doing something, anything, to prevent repeated tragedy and have something to recall this time.

Ysayle's story and how she affected WoL being the catalyst, so less direct but still extremely important in the end, even before we were aware of what was actually happening with Eden.

Also makes for an interesting link, from the story of original Shiva, to primal Shiva and Ysayle, and having to summon those aspects based on very painful memories around the Dragonsong War and being the culmination of our elemental summonings, why the lyrics and singing of "Return to Oblivion" are so desperate; we didn't get it in the actual dialogue like so many wanted, but there's a lot of Refulgence rooted in WoL's grief and fear of history repeating again with a new Shiva.

n. The State or character of being refulgent; a flood of light; splendor; brilliancy.

n. Synonyms Effulgence, Splendor, etc. (see radiance), brightness.