Let Your Star Shine

We may not have the external light of the shining star that guided the Magi to Bethlehem, but God gives us the ‘star-light’ of faith to guide us to his Son. That light shines on us each time we reflect on the word of God, and even at the very start of our life and our baptismal entrance into the Catholic Church membership. Since then our journey of faith keeps us on the go, just as the Magi proceeded with persistence to find the Epiphanic Messianic Star and prostrate themselves before the King of humanity in humble adoration. We kneel in worship, exclaiming in the words of Psalm 72: “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”

The Magi were also led by an inner light of divine wisdom, telling them to go another way and not be duped by the deceiving murderous ambition of Herod. The Lord manifests His will in our quest for the Truth in the daily ‘ephiphanies’ that touch our life. Upon pondering on life’s events in the light of faith, we let God’s truth lead us, as we turn our backs to the darkness of error for it is better to stand alone with the truth than to be wrong with the multitude. We are never in the dark as we emulate the Divine Love born in a poor manger and ransomed for sin on the Cross.

The Son of God becoming human is indeed an epiphany of the humility and poverty of God that will continue to walk with us through unknown paths of the New Year. Let us imitate Mary’s example of total openness to God’s will—“Let it be done to me according to your will” (Lk 1:38). She shows us how to listen to the words of Jesus that we may be living witnesses of God’s incarnate love and care, as Jesus advises us in his Sermon on the Mount: “In the same way, your light must shine before men so that they may see goodness in your deeds and give praise to your heavenly Father” (Mt 5:16). Keep this star within shining to share in Jesus’ mission of loving service throughout the year.