“Who having heard the king, went their way; and behold the star which they had seen in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the child was. And seeing the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”
The Magi, having sought the wisdom of Jerusalem, are now given back the star which had faded from their sight. It then arises once more, leading directly to the King, the Almighty, the Holy, the small child in the arms of a peasant girl. St. Ambrose calls Christ the star, and to follow His way is to lead oneself to Christ. The star, you who are dear to this same Most High, is love. While stopping for wisdom is necessary along this path, as exemplified by Christ stopping amongst the elders of Juda in the temple during his teenage years, it is the duty of the Christian to embrace love wherever it is seen, even if this involves reaching through thorns. “Love one another, as I have loved you” (John 13:34), for in realizing how extraordinarily loved you are, the heart boils over with love that radiates to your neighbors, who are drawn by the most fundamental human need, which is love; “Draw me: we will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments” (Song 1:3). To follow love in every scenario, no matter how insignificant, is to follow the star that is Christ to where He dwells, which is in the depths of your own heart. Now, this star is absent when the way of loving as the world loves, for this is to stop by Herod, who will seek to quench true love with violence and deception. Part of the spiritual life is abandoning your former way of loving that the love of God may be expressed through you, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts: nor your ways my ways” (Isaias 55:8). It is through the commands of the Lord that one learns how to love well; “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). This way is shown by the Magi to be a magnificent way, for when the way of I Love You points to the Eternal Love, Love Incarnate, Perfect Love, that loves you in every way that your heart could ever desire, for they rejoice with exceeding great joy. The star does not stay away forever, the darkness is not victorious, but love, even in the faint, small glimmer of a star, is always there to lead you to Him Who Loves You Most. This way is so beautiful that it inspires great joy, even in weary travelers who had risked their lives for the sake of God, and they are rewarded for their daring with “good tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10).