Be A Star 讓我們也成為明星

The Epiphany of the Lord, Year B
Theme: Be A Star 讓我們也成為明星

Today, we meditate on the visit of the Magi to adore the Holy Infant. The Magi came from the east of Jerusalem (Matthew 2:1). They must have been courtier astrologists from the region of Babylon. Of course, Jesus was born during the Roman Empire but the Babylonian influence must have been deep-rooted and developed enough for astrology to thrive. Then why were the Magi interested in Judah/Judaea which was by then no more than a Roman province? Thanks to the contribution of the legendary prophet Daniel who was able to interpret the dream of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Consequently, King Nebuchadnezzar “advanced Daniel to a high post, gave him many generous presents, made him ruler of the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon” (Daniel 2:48). Daniel had also served in the Persian Empire until King Darius. That probably explains why the Magi were interested in the rise of a great king in Judaea. Now that we have settled the identity of the Magi, let’s turn our attention to the Star of Bethlehem.

The Star of Bethlehem has captured the fascination of not only the courtier astrologists but also many Christians throughout the ages. Some suggested that it was a comet. However, comets have tails and ancient people thought comets a sign of disasters and doom, not the rise of a Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:5). Others thought that the star was a supernova but it was unlikely because a supernova is visible for centuries and does not move! Moving objects in heavens are planets which are dimly visible to unaided eyes. But they do not appear suddenly. Therefore, the most likely candidate would be a conjunction of planets of our solar system within some special constellations, such as Aries. Astrology teaches that heavenly phenomena would influence the lives of people on earth. Therefore, only astrologists would interpret the rise of a star in Aries as the birth of a new king and only astrologists in pagan palaces would notice this phenomenon while Jews would not because astrology was forbidden by Mosaic Law. Say, when Jupiter, Saturn and even Mars wander in the heavens until they are visually close to each other in Aries, together they look brighter for some time and the brightness would disappear when they move apart. That seems to agree with the description of the appearance and re-appearance of the Star of Bethlehem. Still, it is hard to explain the following behaviour of the Star, “After their audience with the king they set out. 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” (Matthew 2:9). Given the distance between Jerusalem and Bethlehem to be 11 km, and the amble speed of a walking camel to be 5 km/h, the Magi saw the Star of Bethlehem move, and led them for two hours to the Holy Infant and then stopped! Could this be the behaviour of planet conjunction? The Star of Bethlehem looked more like a modern drone! So far, no candidate is conclusive.

Balaam, a pagan diviner, had prophesized the rising of the Star of Bethlehem before even the Israelites settled in the Promised Land. Instead of cursing the Israelites as requested by the Moab king, Balaam says, “I see him, though not now; I observe him, though not near: A star shall advance from Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise from Israel, that will crush the brows of Moab, and the skull of all the Sethites …” (Numbers 24:17). Curiously, Matthew did not quote this prophecy in the Nativity narrative. Anyway, the Star of Bethlehem announced the arrival of the Prince of Peace on earth. Whether the Star appeared in the constellation of Aries to indicate his kingship is up to interpretation. Indeed, constellations in Chinese astrology mean different things. There are twenty-eight Chinese constellations and Aries corresponds to 「婁」and 「胃」constellations which indicate “peace in the borders” and “fullness of barns” respectively in the Chinese system. Thus, Chinese astrologists would not see the birth of a new king in Judaea as the Magi would! Curiosity apart, we should instead reflect more on the symbolic meanings of the Star. We know that the Star of Bethlehem points to the Holy Infant, the Son of God whom the Father gave to humanity. Jesus Christ is a gift from the Father to whoever receives Him and believes in Him.

Jesus Christ teaches us in the Parable of Talents that we should not keep things for ourselves (Matthew 25:26-27). We should make good use of the graces the Father has given us. Moreover, Jesus teaches, “Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (5:16). Therefore, we should all be Stars of Bethlehem in our unique stations of life. Some of us may be housewives, domestic helpers, janitors, government officials, IT professionals, artists, journalists, musicians, engineers and homeless. Where we work and live become the heavenly backdrop unique to us. Though people around us might outshine us, do you not know that the visible spectrum is only a small section of the electromagnetic spectrum? We may be able to outshine them in a different section of the spectrum. Therefore, as long as we are able to lead our lives according to the teachings of Jesus, our conscience is clear before the King on the Judgment Day. Now the question becomes what “good deeds” does Jesus want us to do? Feed the hungry, give drinks to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit the imprisoned (25:35-36)? Good of you if you do this. But are you able to attract the people you serve towards Christ? How many of them would believe in Jesus Christ because of your charity? Are there not other charitable organizations and social workers doing the same or even better jobs than us? Perhaps we need to dive deeper into our faith to examine our relationship with Christ to find the clue.

Let us ask ourselves with what attitudes does Jesus want to lead our lives and to serve the needy? We should be familiar with the answer! Jesus wants us to detach ourselves generously from our possessions that can be obstacles for us to approach the Lord (5:3). He wants us to mourn for the sufferings inflicted by sins on innocent people even if they are not our sufferings (5:4). By then, we enter into a solidarity with all the needy and underprivileged. The Holy Infant wants us to be meek like Him not to allow the impulses of self-defence and revenge to take control over us (5:5). He did not strike Herod the Great dead immediately and allowed history to take its full course. Jesus teaches us not to rely on our own strength but thirst and hunger for God to take over the situation and deliver us (5:6). He teaches us to forgive (5:7), to turn another cheek (5:39), to lend without expecting repayment (5:42) and show mercy to those who persecute us (5:44). He wants us to know that there is no other means of redemption and to trust in Him wholeheartedly for the salvation of all humanity (5:8). Be peacemakers and not opportunists to seed conflicts and confusions in order to take advantages of them (5:9) and lastly be assured that He accompanies us and bears most of the brunt for us during persecutions (5:10). Therefore, be not afraid of defamations and persecutions. Be cheerful and glad instead (5:12). Be patient in waiting for God’s righteousness to prevail.

Beloved brethren. All of us are adopted children of God in Christ (Romans 8:15). The Father sends us to be Stars of Bethlehem to bring more souls before Christ. We are too fragile to accomplish this mission without the support of the Holy Spirit. Let us invoke the Holy Spirit to disarm our pride and to inflame us with fervent charity. Amen.

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2023 Reflection
Picture Credit: wikipedia.org