For May 4th:

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5

“…All new life labors out of the very bowels of darkness…Darkness transfigures into light, bad transfigures into good, grief transfigures into grace, empty transfigures into full…--the ugly-beautiful. That which is perceived as ugly can be beautiful. The dark can give birth to life, suffering can deliver grace…grace moments and curse moments. All is grace…Jesus, at the Last Supper, showed us to transfigure all things—take the pain that is given, give thanks for it, and transform it into a joy that fulfills all emptiness…The hard discipline is to number the griefs as grace…”

Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts, 2009