Not the Star, Jesus is our GPS!
Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12
In life, there are many journeys. We have academic, carrier and vocational journeys. Every journey has a precise goal; we want to achieve something we consider important for our lives. The speed of attaining our goal and the degree of success and satisfaction with the outcome of our journeys vary from one person to another. Yet, we keep moving, we continue to journey all through life.
Our first reading talks about the journey of Israel from the East back to her homeland. When Israel arrives at home, she will become a light to the nations. The prophets of God are God’s instruments of revelation of his purposes for Israel. Our gospel describes the journey of the Magi from the East in search of Baby Jesus. The Star that appeared in the East was their guide and compass to Baby Jesus. Closer to home, following the instructions of the angels to them, the shepherds journeyed and located the Baby Jesus. Our second reading reading shows St. Paul traveling to many nations of the world to preach God’s universal love and salvation for humanity, without exception. Paul’s encounter with the resurrected Lord was his guide for his missions to all nations of the earth. These journeys describe the meaning of Epiphany.
The Solemnity of the Epiphany celebrates the public manifestation of God. Sacred Scripture and Nature are the two sources God uses for his public manifestation to all and sundry. He whom the Magi used the Star and their knowledge of astronomy to discover – Jesus Christ – Israel has him documented in Sacred Scripture for the reading. Whether through Sacred Scripture or Nature, it is compulsory to possess the knowledge of God through studies, in order to discover God’s revelation in Jesus Christ to humanity.
The journey of life, with its necessary vicissitudes, is discoverable to human science and the story of the Magi confirms it in a limited way: when the Magi had seen Baby Jesus, the Star disappeared! The GPS (Global Positioning System) which keeps human beings and the Magi on track as they travel through life is a human being, Jesus Christ.
Many do not seem to ask how did the magi return home, since the star disappeared! We are told that the star stayed over the place where Jesus was born. The light of science led the magi to the Savior, not before they wondered to Herod because the star disappeared momentarily. The reappearance of the star was to lead the magi to their destination, a person, not a town, not a village. Now that they have seen the Savior, their scientific knowledge, their ability to read stars, became useless because there was no more star to read; yet, they needed to retrace their steps back to their home land. How did they find their way back home, what kind of knowledge led them home, then?
When Jesus took up his residency on earth, astrology could lead the magi to him. Today, Jesus lives in glory, where no technology can provide his coordinates. The challenge of today is the ability to hear and heed the alternative voice and science which God puts deep within us – the voice of a formed conscience. Our world needs the docility that leads to God, beyond our technological know-how. Technology, like the star of the magi, only leads to an earthly destination, only revelation and the voice of an angel could direct us to our final destination. God provided dreams and directives from angels for the magi to access their way home; not earthly home, but celestial home. Indeed, the direction of a star leads to Herods – obstacles on our way to God, but the voice of God reroutes away from Herods to God.
The proof that you and I are children of God is determined by the star and GPS that we follow – the Way, the Truth and the Life, JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. In our various sciences, that is, the jobs we do, God speaks to us and leads us to himself, just as astrologers (magi) followed the star to the Savior. The ability to see God through what we do; our attentiveness to God’s presence in all the circumstances of our lives; indeed, Emmanuel, God-with-us, is the sole guarantee of salvation, every other thing is just a sign and pointer to salvation. Yes, “Not the Star, Jesus is the Way”. The star has left the sky to dwell in you and me. Your life and my life must become the science that leads others to God; our knowledge of Scriptures must be our light, and only fidelity to God’s Word can lead us to God!
In order to possess the knowledge of God, studies of Scripture and nature are indispensable. The advise of Paul, in the second reading, is instructive in this regard. God takes the initiative to make all humanity realize its common identity as children of God. However, do we live as his children or slaves and aliens to God? Irrespective of our religious creeds, Pope Francis argues in Laudato Si that the planet earth is a common home to all the living upon it. In other words, the responsibility to care for the earth was not based, at creation, on particular creeds but on the basis of humanity and human responsibility. Paul calls it a mystery, something God reveals so that the knowledge of the mystery of God may shape human behaviour.
The two paths available to human beings, faced with the knowledge of God’s mystery, are the two paths depicted by the Magi and Herod. While the Magi used their knowledge of God’s mystery positively to locate and worship the Baby Jesus, Herod attempted to frustrate God’s plan by seeking to kill Baby Jesus, the consequences of which led to the killing of many innocent children. More importantly, Herod’s life ended in a tragedy, which he brought upon himself. This simply means that every knowledge is useless without seeking God. If we must experience the return of God among us, the restoration of lands flowing with milk and honey, we must imitate the Magi and Paul. Paul became an apostle to the Gentiles because he wanted them to profit from their new identity, which they were not aware of. Paul became a missionary to make known to non-Jews that they too are children of God. Likewise, the Magi took back the good news of salvation to their countries, after meeting the child-King.
Assignment for the Week :
Share a Scriptural reading with someone this week.