And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew 2: 9-11
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In his homily at Mass for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the Gospel reading, the narrative of the Magi who came from the East to Bethlehem to adore the Baby Jesus….
The Magi "were, as we might say, men of science, but not simply in the sense that they were searching for a wide range of knowledge: they wanted something more. ... They were men with restless hearts, not satisfied with the superficial and the ordinary. They were men in search ... of God, ... watchful men, capable of reading God's signs, His soft and penetrating language. But they were also courageous, yet humble: we can imagine them having to endure a certain amount of mockery for setting off to find the King of the Jews, at the cost of so much effort. For them it mattered little what this or that person, what even influential and clever people thought and said about them. For them it was a question of truth itself, not human opinion. Hence they took upon themselves the sacrifices and the effort of a long and uncertain journey. Their humble courage was what enabled them to bend down before the child of poor people and to recognise in Him the promised King, the One they had set out, on both their outward and their inward journey, to seek and to know".
"Our heart is restless for God and remains so, even if every effort is made today, by means of most effective anaesthetising methods, to deliver people from this unrest. But not only are we restless for God: God's heart is restless for us. God is waiting for us. He is looking for us. He knows no rest either, until He finds us. ... That is why He set out on the path towards us, to Bethlehem, to Calvary, from Jerusalem to Galilee and on to the very ends of the earth. God ... looks out for people willing to 'catch' His unrest, His passion for us, people who carry within them the searching of their own hearts. ... "
"The wise men followed the star. ... The wise men from the East, ... like all the saints, have themselves gradually become constellations of God that mark out the path. ... The saints are stars of God, by whom we let ourselves be led to Him for Whom our whole being longs."
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May we wisely follow the star that leads us to the Lord.
May we rest in His peace for which our hearts long.
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