Dark secrets

Have you ever wondered why nightclubs are dimly lit? Darkness conceals defects, imperfections, and even ugliness. Darkness persuades us that what we cannot see does not exist. This is why secrets thrive in the shadows.

- FR. ROLANDO Y. DELA ROSA, O.P.

Many of our secrets take the form of addictions, mental health struggles, destructive tendencies, deep-seated resentments, character defects, or psychological and spiritual weaknesses. More often than not, however, the secrets we conceal are sins or even crimes that we would rather lock away, allowing them to fester in the shadows until they gradually gain power and eventually tyrannize us.

Darkness does not prevent our secrets from exposure. It merely delays their being found out. Ironically, the longer we hide them, the tighter their grip on us becomes. They burden our hearts with anxiety, rob us of peace, and even drive us into paranoia. We live in constant fear that if others discover what we have concealed, we will lose their respect and love.