Find your star

One of my childhood memories of Christmas was the manger scene that would be set up in every house that we would visit.  Among the most elaborate was the one that was set up in my grandparents’ home.  To the eyes a child, that scene was an absolute wonder.  It covered half of a ping-pong table and included what seemed to be an entire village of buildings in addition to the stable.  There was a magical quality to the figurines.  Each time we visited during the weeks leading up to Christmas, there were more and more parts of the village set out upon the table, and the little people seemed to move from one part of the scene to another, including the wise men who would begin their journey on the very edges of the scene and slowly make their way toward the crib until the Epiphany, when they would finally arrive.

While Saint Luke’s gospel recounts Jesus’ infancy narrative, it is Saint Matthew who tells us the details of the visitors who came from the east.  They searched for the child who had been born king of the Jews, for they had observed his star at its rising (Mt 2:1-2) and wanted to pay him homage.

Saint Matthew wrote his gospel in order to help Christians who had been converted from Judaism to preserve the details of the life and ministry of Jesus.  It is significant that Matthew is the only one of the gospel writers to tell the story of the visit of the Magi.  Perhaps he wanted to demonstrate the fact that Jesus was born and lived among us, not only so that Jews could learn about him, but in order that all people would be able to hear the good news that God came to his people.  The light of faith was always intended to be spread throughout the world – even to its farthest ends, and therefore we must understand the visit of the Magi as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy: Arise, shine he says, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! (Is 60:1).

Guided by the light of a star, the wise men set out in search of the child.  When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy (Mt 2:9-10).  The same gift of joy that was shared with the shepherds when the angels told them about the birth of the child was also shared with these visitors from afar, and this same gift of joy is also shared with each one of us if we – like the Magi – are willing to set out in search of Jesus.

How their hearts must have burned with joy as they knelt before the infant king to present their treasures.  That overwhelming joy was also present in the heart of Saint Paul after he had encountered Jesus, so much so that he set out and travelled extensively in order to share the good news with many who were not of Jewish origin.  Because of his zeal Gentiles have also become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus (Eph 3:6).

Today, all of us are once again little children gathered around the manger scene.  There is a part of us that will always marvel at the way that the little figurines seem to move, and there should always be a part of us that stands in awe when we realize that we are all sharers in the promise of eternal life because Jesus came to live among us.