This is the fourth and final reflection in our January series. Isaiah’s promise was never meant to end in private comfort. God’s glory shines upon His people so that His people can become a sign of hope in a world that still knows darkness. That is why the Gospel’s call is always outward. Jesus says, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Disciples do not merely admire the Light; they learn to carry it.

St. John Bosco, whose feast we celebrate on January 31, shows what this looks like in ordinary, concrete ways. John Bosco was born in 1815 to a poor farming family near Turin, Italy. After his father died, his mother raised the family with a faith that was both tender and tough. As a boy John had a vivid dream, often called his “dream at nine," that planted in him a lifelong conviction that the Lord was calling him to serve young people, especially those who were neglected. Ordained a priest in 1841, he began his ministry in a city being reshaped by industrial change. Boys were arriving from the countryside looking for work, and many ended up sleeping wherever they could, easily exploited, and often pulled into trouble. Don Bosco did not see them as nuisances or threats. He saw them as sons to be gathered, guided, and loved into a future.

One of the most memorable details about his ministry is how simply he began. To draw the boys close, he would juggle, perform small tricks, and organize games- anything to win a smile and earn trust. But he never stopped at entertainment. Once the circle formed and the noise settled, he would speak to them about Jesus, teach the faith in a way they could receive, offer confession, and bring them to Mass. Joy became a doorway to grace. In a society that treated these boys as disposable, Don Bosco made them feel seen, known, and capable of holiness. He called his approach the “preventive system”: not fear and punishment as the primary tools, but reason, religion, and loving kindness, helping young people choose the good because they had experienced love first.

Don Bosco helps us hear Isaiah 60:1 with fresh clarity at the end of this month. The Light that came at Christmas is not fragile sentiment; it is God entering real human need. The change Christmas and New Years began is not a private self-upgrade but a transformation that turns outward into mission. Don Bosco received the Light in prayer and the sacraments, followed it into the streets, remembered who he was as a beloved son and priest of Christ, allowed the Lord to purify him through hardship and opposition, and then shared that Light patiently, one boy at a time. He reminds us that we do not have to do everything. We have to do the next loving thing, faithfully, as disciples.

Don Bosco invites us to look around with the eyes of Christ. Who in your life might be walking in darkness and needs a steady light? What kind of light are you most able to offer? Listening, inviting, serving, teaching, encouraging? How can our six communities grow more united in mission? This week, choose one person to “light the way” for: invite them to Mass, check in, offer to pray, bring a meal, write a note, or serve quietly. May the glory of the Lord shine upon us so that someone else, through us, can find their way home.