January 5th, 2025 - Epiphany of the Lord

According to the testimony of St. Matthew’s gospel, the astrologers from the east had observed a star at its rising, tracked its location hovering somewhere over Judea, and determined that this bright light signaled the birth of some royal figure in Israel. And so, they decided to make their way to Jerusalem, curious about this infant king and bearing precious gifts to pay him homage. They came to Bethlehem because they were attracted by a powerful advertisement in the sky, a bright star that acted like a magnet pulling strangers to come from far away to worship the Christ child. And so it must be today. Stars in the sky don’t draw many people to Christ today, but people can be the stars that direct others to Christ today – people who believe in Christ and strive to be Christ’s disciples every day. These people can advertise his gospel, promote his mission, and draw others to come and worship the Lord. That means we, the baptized, can all be like that star that led the astrologers to Christ and the Holy Family.