You Are a Star

The Epiphany of the Lord has always been a big deal in my household. This Christian feast is traditionally observed on January 6^th – which also is my date of birth. Needless to say, I was not particularly thrilled when the church decided to move the observance of Epiphany to the first Sunday of January. Despite that move, I continue to celebrate the traditional Epiphany day on January 6^th every year.

The word “epiphany” comes from the Greek word epiphainen, which means “to shine upon,” “to make known.”, or “to manifest.” And the Epiphany of the Lord is Jesus’ manifestation not only to the three Magi from the East, but it’s also a symbolic (and real) manifestation of Jesus to the entire world.  These Magi, traveling from foreign/non-Jewish countries, show us that Jesus came for all people; therefore, we are all called to adore and worship Him.

God used what the Magi were familiar with to call them to adore Jesus: a star. The three kings understood the stars and when they noticed this new and different star over the town of Bethlehem, they knew that something special was happening.

The beautiful message for us in this event is quite simple: God uses what is familiar to us in order to call us to Himself. Each and every day we are drawn to Christ. Whether this be in our relationships, our daily tasks, or in the various situations we encounter, Jesus is always reaching out to us so He can enter into a relationship with us. And this all happens through prayer.

Every act of our lives is an act of prayer, offered up to our heavenly Father in our daily actions. Are we loving our neighbor, looking out for others, and being the voice of peace and love in our world? Are we radiating with the light of Christ so others can find their way?

The star calls us to imitate its humble service: to be the best servants that we can be while inviting all of us to find Christ. By living our faith and following our baptismal call to love and serve others, we will then shine like a star as children of the light.

May we always look for the star that God is using to call us to follow Him. That star may seem distant, but it’s not as far away as we may think.

Oh, star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright.
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Here is a prayer to start out the new year. And check out this Epiphany meditation.