Wonder of the Star
“They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.”Matthew 2:10-11a
What stirs and provokes wonder in your hearts and minds? Have you ever seen, heard, or felt something that took your breath away? What was it? How did it make you feel? When the Magi saw the star in the sky they followed it all the way to Jerusalem to ask Herod where this newborn king can be found. The Magi were educated and learned people and perhaps they studied and observed the sky for some time, so seeing stars was probably no extraordinary thing. But yet when they saw this star (some say it’s a comet or some other celestial body) they were intrigued and fascinated to the point where they set out and followed it. This star was what provoked wonder in the hearts and minds of the Magi, but not just the star itself, but what the star represented and to whom its light led.
The Scriptures tell us that the Magi were “overjoyed at seeing the star,” and in the Greek, the translation is “having seen the star, they rejoiced with great joy exceedingly.” There is this overflowing joy not because of the intense brightness of the star but because the light of the star has finally led them to the place where the One whom they were looking for can be found. The Magi were overjoyed and rejoiced with great joy because they knew once they went into the place, their eyes will see something and someone that will forever change their lives. The light of the star led the Magi to the Light of the World.
Wonder moved the Magi to action, and this action led them to Christ. Brothers and sisters, does the presence of Our Lord spark wonder in our hearts? If so, do we simply admire and ponder from afar, or are we so moved that we journey towards Him? With the Incarnation God journeyed towards us so that now we may journey towards Him. And brothers and sisters, I promise you, that when you do allow this wonder to move you on a journey, you will find a peace and joy you’ve never experienced before because that which you are journeying towards is Joy and Peace and Love and Life itself. May we always allow the wonder of the star to move us to be led by the light of the star so that we might come to find the Light of the World.
From the altar piece Adoration of the Magi, 1423, Gentile da Fabriano
