In today’s Gospel reading, Phillip tells Nathaniel, “We have found him, he of whom Moses has spoken, Jesus of Nazareth.” Nazareth did not have a great reputation for piety, and Nathaniel asks, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Instead of trying to explain, Phillip simply says “Come and see.” Fr. Micah points out that the phrase “come and see” is very profound in that it points to the indescribable, revelatory nature of beauty.
He quotes Dostoyevky’s “The Idiot,” in which he writes, “Beauty will save the world.” Fr. Micah points out that, although we live in a world saturated with sensory stimulation, we lack an appreciation for deep beauty — the kind of beauty we see in the church and in nature.
Fr. Micah urges us to attune our senses to this beauty, recognizing and appreciating it without seeking to gain from it in a utilitarian sense. He gives examples of beautiful things we see each day and how they direct us to Christ, who is the source of all beauty, goodness, and love.
