Stars On Our Journey—The Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord

By Paul Ashton, Psy.D., D.Min.
Consultant to the VIRTUS^® Programs

On the feast of the Epiphany, as we recall Jesus’ manifestation to humanity in the face of a Child, may we sense the Magi at our side, as wise companions on the way. Their example helps us to lift our gaze towards the star and to follow the great desires of our heart. They teach us not to be content with a life of mediocrity, of “playing it safe”, but to let ourselves be attracted always by what is good, true and beautiful… by God, who is all of this, and so much more! And they teach us not to be deceived by appearances, by what the world considers great, wise and powerful. We must not stop at that.

—Pope Francis, 6 January 2014

Although many are already exhausted from Christmas gatherings and celebrations with family and friends, the great feast of Epiphany continues the wonderful season of the Birth of Jesus. Our Church celebrates Epiphany as the manifestation of Jesus as the Son of God to the world. It is a beautiful feast when we celebrate the tradition of the Three Wise Men or Kings: Balthazar, Gaspar, and Melchior who come a long distance to present gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the newborn Jesus.

Jesus is presented to the world as God made flesh for all to know and to follow. His appearance as a little baby born in a lowly state is very disarming, yet the Three Kings knew in their hearts what they needed to do and how they needed to proceed. They kneeled in homage to the new born Prince of Peace, setting the stage for the ministry of Christ on earth. They brought Him gifts worthy of a king and rich in symbolism of the fullness of life.

There is a saying popular at this time of year: “The wise still seek Him”. It speaks clearly to the truer message of Christmas, which always leads to a search for God. The perfect gift we receive at Christmas is that God is not hiding from us; He is indeed present in all of our encounters. More so, God reaches out to us and He calls and seeks us. He sends a star for us to follow, and in following that star we encounter many on the path who, like us, search for Him.

The Three Wise Men had a long journey to Bethlehem, and what a trip that must have been! Determined to reach their goal and to encounter God, they must have come face-to-face with many challenging and enriching persons, places and things. Not unlike our own journeys to encounter God, they must have encountered many people who shared their Faith, vision and dreams. What stories they could tell of the journey alone. 

I think of my own life and two important women on my faith journey—Claire, my freshman religion teacher at Central Catholic High School and Yvonne, her sister, who worked at the cafeteria of Merrimack College where I attended. They are 96 and 97 years old now and I am privileged to visit with them a few times a month. They have been silent, yet strong witnesses to my Faith journey and powerful influences in my life. Silent in the way they graciously teach me by direct charity of hospitality, faithfulness and prayer. Strong in the way that they accept the challenges of life, loss and age and integrate their Faith into everything they do. We laugh, we joke, we cry and mostly we accept the gifts and challenges that life brings to us. We are present to each other in prayer and deed and their support is a tremendous grace and blessing to me in my life.

I am so fortunate to have had these women in my life for so many years as “stars” along the way who highlight my journey and call me back to the values and truer meanings of my goals and purpose. In every respect I recognize them as gifts from God whose blessings flow continually to me.  

When the wise men finally reached Jesus they honored Him with the kind of respect only God deserves, bowing before him in praise and worship. When they left they did not go back the same way they came. When you encounter Jesus, you are changed forever and can never go back to the same ways. Likewise, the wonderful persons He sends to share the journey with us changes us forever and bring us ever closer to the God we worship, honor and adore. How blessed we are to have vivid personifications of God’s love for us!

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