Becoming like the Star of Bethlehem

Are you ready for another year? As we look ahead to this new year perhaps it's wise to reflect upon what last year taught us and how to best share it with those in our lives. We are to become the Star of Bethlehem.

The Star of Bethlehem was a light in the darkness that guided men to God. We too are to become like a star. We are to shine like a light in the darkness and lead humanity to God.

Missionary Intention: Christ, light for all humanity. That Christ may reveal himself to all humanity with the light that shines forth from Bethlehem and is reflected in the face of his Church.

What does this mean? It means that we are to become tabernacles, carrying within us the light of Christ. We are bring Christ to others through our hands and our feet. We are to radiate something so magnificent that they cannot help but to see His Truth, His Life and His love. It should be reflected from our own faces as if those who encounter us are experiencing the living God in our own presence. It is not because of anything we do or say, but rather it in opening ourselves to God, receiving Him deep inside of our hearts, that He Conceives Divine Life within us and when humanity is in it’s presence their own personhood, their own spirit within them will encounter Him with us.

The star of Bethlehem guided those seeking for truth to the one true God. We live in a world where everyday there are people seeking to be filled and the only thing that can make them whole is God. In fact, that desire, that ache, that hunger was infused into them at the moment of their conception so that they would always reach outside of them self to be completed by the one and only thing that will satisfy. That “thing” is God revealed in the trinity.

How do we become a star of Bethlehem? We first have to receive Him ourselves. We cannot give what we do not have for ourself first. St. Ignatius said it is not enough to become holy for ourselves, the goal is to be filled to overflowing so that the graces fill us and spill out over us onto all that we meet. We must first receive Him but more importantly we must be transformed by Him before we can effectively help anyone else. When we are transformed, it is He would then attracts souls, not us.

We radiate Him, we cannot help ourselves because we have become permeated into every part and participle of our being. We become smaller and He becomes bigger because what is visible to others is our nature perfected by Grace. We then bring Hope, Love, Kindness, Peace, Mercy to those who are falling under the weight of their own weaknesses. The world desperately needs us to receive Him. Ask for a triple portion. He desires to give it to you.

We must first receive Him but more importantly we must be transformed by Him before we can effectively help anyone else. When we are transformed, it is He would then attracts souls, not us. We radiate Him, we cannot help ourselves because we have become permeated into every part and participle of our being. We become smaller and He becomes bigger because what is visible to others is our nature perfected by Grace. We then bring Hope, Love, Kindness, Peace, Mercy to those who are falling under the weight of their own weaknesses. The world desperately needs us to receive Him. Ask for a triple portion. He desires to give it to you.

When we receive Him, He begins to conceive within us a transformation of love. We then are to ask the Holy Spirit to release the operational gifts of the Holy Spirit given to us at baptism and confirmation. These are what will make the person in front of us KNOW that God is real and seeking them out PERSONALLY.

When we speaks prophetic words, or words of knowledge, exhortation, wisdom, tongues or their interpretation we emanate like a light, we radiate Him and that is what will draw humanity to Him. Like St. John in his mother’s womb, deep within their own hearts there will be a leaping for joy as well as a reverent bow within them as they realize they have encountered the power of the living God.

It is the same with healing gifts and charisms, discernment of spirits, miracles, giving, hospitality, mercy gifts and more. We are to co-operate in the plan of redemption. We are to enter into His plan by bringing Christ to the world as well as to guide others out of darkness.

I will be writing on these in turn over the next few months to help you recognize them, embrace them and live them out with courage and fortitude because before we can Catechize we must Evangelize and these gifts are what open peoples eyes to see, their ears to hear their minds to believe and their hearts to become transformed.

Pray for the gift of receptivity. Pray for the Holy Spirit to permeate you and conceive Divine Life within you and then become a star of Bethlehem.