Today we are helped to mediate on the promises kept for centuries by the people of Israel! Isaiah invites Israel to joy for God had chosen her from among all and gave her a universal mission. All the other peoples are disoriented, darkness is all over on earth, but could not overshadow the people of God! God’s people is enlighten by the glory of the Lord, and hence attract the attention of all the nations that come, as if almost to buy the light and the wisdom, bringing riches of gold and incense, symbols of the joy of who have found the true king and the true God! The people of Israel, even though small, gathers around all the peoples of the world to fill them with joy and life!

"Your light comes" is what the prophet announces. The disciples of Jesus understand it as from the beginning of their mission as a Church that, thinking of the birth of the Lord would say: " the true light that enlightens every one came to the world"! The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled with the birth of Jesus! Matthew explains to us this truth through a story.

A start is born as announced by the prophets. This star, observed by wise men, presenting far away peoples, announces the birth of a king and shows the way to meet him: it’s the way that leads to the people of Israel! The pagans arrive with the treasures of which Isaiah speak in the Scriptures, that for the wise men were for sure unkown. Without any reason, Jerusalem immiadetly turns to be an enemy of the king looked for. Not of the ones who are looking for him…The leaders in Jerusalem know that a King was to be born, and know even where, but don’t move or are moved! This already preannounces His future suffering and His death!

The Scriptures confirm the indication of the star, and the star appears again on the way shown by the Scirptures. When the Kings realised the combination between the message of the star and that of the Scriptures, they were filled with joy! It’s a similar joy that was proved by the disciples of Emmaus, when they succeed to think over the events of which they were spectators in the light of the Word of God told to them by the one who accompanied them on their way!

The rappresentatives of the peoples and of their religions bow down before the Child who was in His mother’s arms. They adore Him. Give Him treasures which are useful and beautiful, and also myrrh. Jesus is recognized by them as a true king, the king of their lives, of their present and of their future. They recognize Him too as true God and so they adore Him! Jesus didn’t say a word to them! If they heard something this was from Mary. Instead the Child, without saying or doing anything, communicates to them humility, poverty, simplicity and obedience, communion and hope.

There is a lot of fantasy around the star. We too make use of it. What would that star mean, that through its light attacts, but at the same time leads to another, that accompanies for a long way until it brings one to a Woman and the Child in Her arms?

Someone might think of the stars of the astrologers, to their horoscopes, to a fascinating light of some medium or sorcerer! If their light guide us to adore the Son of God, it is welcomed! But their spark of light leads us away from Jesus, deceiving us, make us dream, and at the end we find ourselves slaves of situations without any exit or in the hands of men without scruples!

Instead we are to look at the reality we have in our hands. Who made you come to the King of kings? Who made you meet with Jesus with great joy and gave you the strength to open to Him your precious treasures? Was it a person, a friend, a good book or an illness? Was it the pain of the death of a very dear person or meeting with a community of believers? What was the "missionary" star for you?

Whatever it was, now you can forget it. You should be happy not with that star, but with the One whom you have come to, Jesus, that gave meaning to your life, made you taste the goodness of the Father’s love, made you understand that even your heart is made to love, even so, it is a source of love! He made you understand all of us were made for Him, from all peoples and religions! All who bow down before Jesus find ourselves as joyful brothers and sisters. And who bows down before Him wishes only to have all as brothers and sisters, wants that all come to know and enjoy the light that shines from His face and that of His mother, and hopes that in turn he too becomes "a star" for others to come to Jesus!

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