When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.” vss. 9-10
Matthew 2:1-12
In Luke’s gospel an angel appears to shepherds outside of Bethlehem to announce the birth of the Messiah, but in Matthew’ gospel it’s a star that gets central billing. It’s a lovely story, and even though it lacks the tender warmth of Luke’s manger scene, the star has become the symbol of an entire season of the church year. Today is Epiphany, a day when we say farewell to Christmas and all its trimmings and embrace the Star of Bethlehem. Stars have always had an attraction for humans and we love to spend our nights in observing and probing the mysteries of their movements. Most of them are at an enormous distance, yet they appear each evening as a reminder that we earthlings are not alone. In a very real sense, they are the light of God, the light that gives life to the universe. The Epiphany Star is the Light of Christ, and through this season we’ll be remembering the ways in which that light was revealed in the life of Jesus. And even more than that, we’ll be celebrating the times when the Star actually stops over our lives and its light can be seen in all that we say and do.
Thought for the Day: What do I feel when I look at the stars?
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