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

Who is Mary?

“And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.”

Luke 2:19

Who is Mary? She is the mother of Jesus and hence the Mother of God. For Catholics this title of Mary is very common and makes sense, but it has been a source of conflict over the years. The argument was that how could we say God, who is eternal, have a mother? It didn’t make sense to some people. But if we look closely, since Mary is the mother of Jesus, and Jesus is the only begotten Son of God who was with the Father from the beginning, and who too is fully divine, then indeed we can Mary is the Mother of God. And Our Lord gave His Mother to us on the Cross.

So, who is Mary? She is the Mother of God, yes, but she is also the first and perfect disciple of Jesus. As we read in the Gospel, Mary is one who reflects. Mary is one who receives from the Holy Spirit; one who says “yes,” and one who leads us and points us to Christ. In being the Mother of God, Mary shows us the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. Although the name of this solemnity is attributed to Mary, it is really about Jesus. Mary’s entire life points to Christ. In acknowledging and declaring that Mary is the Mother of God, the Church is really affirming the teaching on Jesus’ divinity, that while being fully man, Jesus is also fully God.

It was in receiving from the Holy Spirit, that Mary was able to respond and to act. Mary shows us that before we can do anything — however good or charitable — we first must receive. Receive what? The love and grace of God. We must receive in order to give, and Mary shows us that. She receives not for herself as St. Paul shows in his letter to the Galatians, but rather for us! So that we might come to become the children of God by sharing in the Sonship of Christ. All that Mary does stems from her relationship with God and it is always moved by love and always for others. May we follow her example so that our lives too may always point to Christ, her Son.

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!

The Last Hour

“Children, it is the last hour;
and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming,
so now many antichrists have appeared.”

1 John 2:18

St. John wrote in his letter that it is the last hour. With the coming of Christ and His Paschal Mystery, a new era has been ushered in and the Kingdom of God has come to man. Jesus Christ is the Kingdom. And so St. John speaks of this “last hour,” pointing to the eschaton or the end of time. How fitting it is that on New Year’s Eve we have this reading, the reading the speaks of the “last hour.”

If today was the culmination of the “last hour” and Christ was to come again, will we be ready? Have we prepared our hearts well during this past Advent to welcome Christ into our lives and our hearts on Christmas day and every day since? As we come to the end of this calendar year, how have we journeyed? Have we journeyed with God or have we journeyed ahead or even away from Him?

St. John speaks of these antichrists who are false prophets and those who really tempt us and draw us away from the Light, from God Himself. We can see this happening in our world today, and so the last hour is indeed among us. Have we mistaken darkness for Light or worldly pleasures for grace? Have we sought to conform God to us rather than conforming our hearts to His? In the prologue of his Gospel, John speaks of the Word becoming flesh and how this Word was Life and the Light of the world that dispels the darkness of evil. He also describes two groups of people: one who accepted Jesus and thereby becoming children of God and the other group who rejected Him. Which group do we belong to?

As this year comes to an end and a new year is ushered in, whose will we be? Will we choose God or will we choose the world? Will we choose life or will we choose death? Will we choose hope or will choose despair? It is easy to say that we will choose God, life, and hope because it is obvious, but when we reflect on this past year, how often have we chosen the opposite? This new year, in this last hour, may we come to not simply choose God by our words but truly do so by our lives. And this can only be possible by staying beside our Lord, talking with Him and listening to Him. May our prayer life be ever strengthened this new year.