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A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Fr Dermot Preston

Good morning.

Science-fiction writer, Arthur C. Clarke, wrote a story which tells of an expedition to galaxies far beyond our own. It is led by an astrophysicist who is a Jesuit priest – we have a tradition of such exotic priestly ministries!

The crew are exploring the remains of a solar system where the sun had exploded - a supernova had wiped-out all the planets orbiting that sun. But not quite all – they discover a scorched planet orbiting, Pluto-like, on the edge of the system.

They investigate and find that a human-like species, who knew they would be destroyed by the supernova, had used the outer planet as a museum vault to preserve their culture and history.

Clarke’s short story, called ‘The Star’, ends with the Jesuit undergoing a crisis of faith because his calculations reveal that the violent supernova which destroyed the species was the star that appeared over Bethlehem at the birth of Jesus.

To someone who thinks that Christmas should be a time of ‘gentle Jesus meek & mild’, the story will be a shock - but it wouldn’t surprise St Matthew as he prepared his Gospel readers for the Birth of Jesus. Matthew tells of how the Wise Men set out from the East to follow the star and stumble unwittingly into a world of intrigue. Their innocent presence provokes a violence which results in King Herod’s massacre of the innocents; but, as Matthew shows, ultimately the mystery of God emerges from the wreckage to bring Salvation to all.

Lord, help us to keep faith in your love through the trials and tribulations of our day. Despite the darkness that might close in, fill us with your light.

Amen.

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