Dear St. Martin’s Parishioners,
A few weeks back, a minor hysteria flared up around drones in the night sky. What were they and what were they doing? Were people in any danger from this? People were looking up into the sky at night to see what mysterious portents they could discern. The more things change, the more they stay the same. . .
The Magi were astrologers who studied the skies for portents concerning world events. When they saw the mysterious star, they headed out in its direction to discover its meaning. Jesus speaks in the gospels about this type of discernment: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees; as soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the Kingdom of God is near” (Lk. 21:29-30).
People of our own day are excellent at mastering the created world through science and technology. Yet we are woefully less adept at discerning the things of God. How many are unaware of the presence of the Kingdom of God in our midst! The Magi are a reminder to us to be on the lookout for the things of God and his saving presence in our world. God works through nature to draw us to himself, to open our eyes to his invisible presence. Notice how frequently Jesus draws on the natural world to teach us spiritual truths.
The danger for us is to lose the forest for the trees. We see the minute details of all that is around us, but we have lost sight of the bigger picture or how it all fits together. In this Christmas season, we reflect on the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us (Jn. 1:14). God’s Word, the Son of God and son of Mary, has filled all of creation with his light. May that light that has shone on all men and all creation allow us to see Christ’s presence permeating our lives.
In Christ, the Light of the world,
Fr. Dave
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