When the magi looked into the night sky, they “saw his star” (Mt 2:2). It was the star of Jesus. It was crystal clear that night. There was an array of lights spanning the sky. The moon was glimmering. Stars were twinkling. Planets were shining. Meteors were glowing. Comets were sparkling. It was breathtaking, a sight to behold.
The star of Jesus was not like the other stars. It stood out. It glared with true beauty. It was brighter and more intense, attractive and captivating. Jesus is light, the light of the world, a beacon of goodness and truth, illumination for the mind and guidance for one’s path.
The magi were star gazers. They watched the sky night after night, and they knew the usual arrangement of stars and constellations, and would be quick to notice anything out of the ordinary. That night there was a star that was extraordinary, like nothing they had ever seen. The magi were highly selective. They chose one star over all of the others, and made a conscious decision to follow the brightest star, and not to follow any of the other lights.
We, like the magi, are confronted with a similar situation. Our world is filled with bright lights. There are movie stars and star athletes, glittering diamonds and shiny cars, neon lights and flood lights. The world is aglow. There is a vast array of lights, some brighter, others dimmer, but there are lights everywhere, all competing for our attention, all beckoning for us to follow them.
We, like the magi, need to make a choice. Can we sort out the lights? Can we avoid being distracted by the lesser lights? Are we able to see the one light that shines more brightly than all of the other lights? When we see the brightest light, can we lock onto its beam, and follow it always and everywhere, wherever it may lead?
The magi are wonderful examples. They chose one light above all of the other lights, and followed the one true light, and no other. Now is our time to choose as well as they did.
