Beloved of Holy Apostles,

A major theme found in the classic French book, "The Little Prince" is that only with the heart is one able to truly see. "What is essential in life is invisible to the eye!" If this is true, perhaps it might behoove us to practice seeing with our heart in ways that are essential.

St. Paul says in I Corinthians 2:9-10, "things beyond our seeing, things beyond our hearing, things beyond our imagining, are prepared by God for those who love Him, this is what God has revealed to us in the Spirit."

Consider this story of a wise man who once showed a nut to a young boy and asked the boy, "What do you see?" the boy answered, "a nut." The wise man said, "Try again." The boy scratched his head and thought more deeply and said, "It is something that will one day become a tree." Finally the wise man gently smiled and kindly responded, "nice try, but you are a bit off. I see what will become an entire forest."

That nut could have become a number of things: a seedling, a tree, several trees, or even an entire forest. The wise man tested this boy to see if he was able to look beyond appearances and to see the potential of what can become. In essence, he tested the boy's very ability to see. This was the wise man's point: with the right attitude one can see that sometimes within the smallest things can be found the greatest potential!

With the right attitude in prayer, we are called to experience things that are beyond our physical and limited sight, things that are beyond what we hear, things that are beyond what we imagine. St. Paul tells us that we received the Spirit from God and not of the world and this spirit explores everything from a different reference point. ...a reference point of the sacred, a place of potential, a home of love.

We must strive to live in this reference point of love, and live by the word potential. A Christian strives to see the world around her in the fullest way, not only how things are but what they can become. Therefore, what appears to be small, may hide a large meaning. And the large things that often dominate our time and energy aren't necessarily as big as they seem.

The power of your eyes and how you see, actually impacts how you decide to live your life! We must strive to see and receive the power, the grace, the love, and the confidence that come only from God. As we look beyond the physical, what is before us, as we see beyond the nut to the forest we will see with different eyes. "Blessed be the pure of heart."

We will see the mystery of love in this world. We will not look at the false empty promises from the world. We will behold the world with a sacred truth. We will trust in God's healing power and love, living truly as the 'Beloved of God.'

"It is extremely dangerous to only develop the understanding and intellect, and not pay attention to the heart. We must, above all pay attention to the heart, for the heart is life, but life corrupted by sin. It is necessary to purify this source of life, to kindle in it the pure flame of life, so that it should burn and not be extinguished; and should direct all the thoughts, desires, and tendencies of the man through all his life. Blessed are the pure in heart (Matt. 5:8). Listen to His sweetest voice in the Gospel. The true life of our heart is Christ (Christ liveth in me, Gal. 2:20). Let all of you learn wisdom of the Apostle. This should be our common problem: to bring Christ to dwell in our hearts through faith." St. John of Kronstadt

May we begin the New Year with faith, love and purity of heart. ~ Fr. Tom