DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?

Dear Beloved Members,

This week the Sherman family observed the 2020 version of the Christmas Star--the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn that hasn't happened for four hundred years. For our observation location, we chose a lovely spot in South County Park, one of our favorite family places (we weren't the only ones!).

It was a stellar evening, not a cloud in the sky, and as the planets emerged from the sky as the sun set, you could just distinguish the two planets with your naked eye. It was a thrilling sight. But more than that, it was a sign that the Christ-light still shines in the darkness. On the darkest day of the year in a challenging, unsettling year, a Star of Bethlehem pierced the night sky.

Now, I understand this was a natural astronomical phenomenon that can be scientifically tracked and predicted. But, I choose to live in a world where these natural signs point us to something, deeper, something eternal in this Christ-soaked universe.

In our Baptismal Liturgy, we pray that the newly baptized will be filled "with joy and wonder" in all God's works. In this second wave of the pandemic, which some have characterized as a "dark winter," staring at this holy sign, I found myself overflowing with joy and wonder.