Paying attention to the signs of God

Today is the solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. It is the manifestation of the child Jesus to the gentile world. The Magi from the east saw a star and through their knowledge in astrology recognized that a King was born in Jerusalem. They set out with gifts to search for the king. Arriving at Jerusalem they asked the people where to find the Infant King. This came to the knowledge of King Herod who summoned them to find out the details of the child. They continued their journey, following the star till they found the infant Jesus with his parents and offered him their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, symbolic gifts for King, Priest, and Prophet. 

There are two points in my reflection today. First, the Magi were attentive to their environment. They saw a new star, recognized what it stood for and moved into action to discover the baby. They put their knowledge to work. Contrastingly, the Scribes and the Chief Priests knew even without the help of a star, where Jesus was to be born but made no move. This tells us that every good knowledge comes from God and should be used in discovering God and promoting His mission in the world. Sometimes, this knowledge may lack clarity, but the clarity comes when we approach God, just as the speculations of the Magi were clarified by their journey towards God. 

Second, when the Magi got confused at the disappearance of the star, they did not give up. They continued to ask the people until they were able to rediscover the star. Sometimes we move with certitude about God and our faith. There is also that moment in life when we get lost. That moment we are not sure if the path we are going is the right path; if your fiancé is the right man for you; if getting married is what you really want; if staying married will make you happy; if becoming priest/nun is your true vocation; if remaining priest/nun is what you can cope with for the rest of your life; or if the job you are doing gives you fulfillment. It could even be moments of sickness, bereavement or job loss that we begin to wonder if keeping faith in God is worth it. In low moments like this, a little faith and patience could clear our fears and doubts. In living our faith as Christians, challenges will get in the way, but we must face them with faith and patience; listening to God who directs and speaks to our hearts the same way He spoke and directed the Magi in dream. Like the Magi, let us be attentive to the signs of God's presence around us and strive to translate every good knowledge to good action. May this new year be filled with discoveries about God on daily basis. Happy New Year!