Following the Star

"He whom the Virgin bore is acknowledged today by the whole world ... Today is the glorious Feast of His Manifestation." - Roman Breviary

The Twelve Days of Christmas comes to a close with one of the greatest feasts in the Church's liturgical year: Epiphany. On this feast, we celebrate God manifesting Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, as a humble little child to the Gentiles.

​Our God came not in loud voices, earthquakes, or bright flashes of light, but rather in silence as a babe, completely reliant on His parents, under a poor roof. A baby - gentle, sweet, and approachable - so that we may approach Him with all the love in our hearts and gaze upon Love Himself. O mystery Divine!

The Gospel from today's liturgy is one of the few readings in the liturgical year that instructs us to genuflect, placing ourselves in front of the Child Jesus, adoring Him alongside the Magi. The Magi left all, following a star, in search for God. We too, as religious, are called to leave all to follow the star God has placed in our heart - the star of our vocation as Spouse of Christ. In adoration, we gaze upon the monstrance, with the same faith of the Magi - as they saw God Almighty in a small Child, we see Him in the Sacred Host. They brought Him gold, frankincense, and myrr; we bring Him our desire for perfect charity, a love of contemplation, and the humble submission to all suffering. 

May the Mystery of the Incarnation compel each of your hearts to bow and knees to bend at the Sweet Name of Jesus - God who dwells among us and wishes to make Himself intimately known in your souls. ​

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A Christmas Carol: by Mary A. O Reilly

Night in the far Judean land, 
The pregnant air is still, 
The sky one blue unclouded band, 
Seems drooping o'er each hill. 
The hills then toward each other bend, 
Some mighty secret to portend. 
Gloria in excelsis Deo. 

The sheep in near-by pastures browse, 
Some bleat as if in pain; 
The youthful shepherds watch and drowse, 
The drowse and watch again; 
When lo! a light from Heaven appears
Which makes them huddle in their fears. 
Gloria in excelsis Deo. 

God's glory shone around them there, 
And then an angel cried - 
"Fear not, for I good tidings bear
To you, and all besides.
For unto you is born this day
A Savior, Christ the Lord." We pray - 
Gloria in excelsis Deo. 

Then swinging from the skies there came
Groups of heaven;y jpst, 
Praising the Lord in sweet acclaim - 
The burden of their toast - 
"Glory to God on High," again - 
His "Peace on earth, good will to men." 
Gloria in excelsis Deo. 

Within a stable sweet with hay, 
And warm with breath of kine,
The Baby and His Mother lay, 
O, mystery divine! 
The bed of straw a cloud appears,
We hear the music of the spheres. 
Gloria in excelsis Deo. 

Dear maiden mother, let us now,
While to your breast He clings, 
In humble adoration bow
With shepherds and with kings, 
And at HIs feet our off'ring be
Praise, love, faith, hope and charity. 
Gloria in excelsis Deo. 

Thomas Cole, “The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds,” 1834