Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

New DeSales World Newsletter - Summer Edition

Epiphany of the Lord (January 8, 2006)

Readings Is 60: 1-6 Ps 72: 2, 7-8, 10-13 Eph 3: 2-3a, 5-6 Mt 2: 1-12

Suggested Emphasis

"Raise your eyes and look about you."

Salesian Perspective

The story of the astrologers captures the imagination. It is the story of people on a great quest.

These astrologers were captivated by what they saw. Their imagination was riveted by the appearance of an extraordinary star. They left all that was ordinary and familiar, traveling great distances with the hope of experiencing more closely this inspiring light.

You and I are called to pursue the light we know as Jesus Christ. However, unlike the astrologers, this quest does not call us to forsake what is familiar or to travel great distances. No, we are to look for this light right in our own back yards.

Francis de Sales wrote: "God is in everything and everywhere; there is no place or thing in this world in which God is not truly present. This truth is intellectually known to everyone, but not everyone is attentive to or conscious of it." There is an even deeper level to this truth: "God is not only in the place where you are," wrote St. Francis de Sales, "but God is very specially present in your heart and in the very core of your spirit…Considering this truth you should awaken in your heart a deep reverence for God who is so intimately present there." (Introduction to the Devout Life, Part II, Chapter 2)

We are called to recognize the light that is Christ shining in the state and stage of life in which we find ourselves close to home. We are called to recognize the light that is Christ in the circumstances, the responsibilities and the relationships of everyday life. We are called to recognize the light that is Christ in the success and setbacks of daily living. We are called to recognize the light that is Christ in the most ordinary and seemingly insignificant experiences across the street…or across the dinner table.

Raise your eyes and look about you. See in yourself and in one another the presence of a God who illumines and warms even the hardest of hearts. Recognize the opportunities imbedded in each and every present moment to be stars of justice, stars of truth, stars of reconciliation, stars of forgiveness, stars of peace. See that the quest of drawing closer to God and one another does not consist in discovering new lands, but in seeing the land in which we live - and the people in it - with new eyes. It is not about traveling great distances, but being more present to people and events closer to home.

Follow the light that is Jesus Christ. Let his light - and yours - shine on all those you meet…not just once in a lifetime, but every moment of life.

Rev. Michael S. Murray, OSFS is Executive Director of the De Sales Spirituality Center.