Talk of Being Starstruck

Epiphany of Our Lord
(Mt. 2:1-11)

In the Philippines, "Starstruck" is a reality search on TV for new young stars. There, hundreds of young people audition to get a chance to be included in the Magic 14 who will be qualified for the Finals. The show’s motto is “DREAM, BELIEVE, SURVIVE!” Indeed, these young people are there because of their dream. And they do believe that their dream will come true. That is why they try to survive the various challenges along the way to stardom.

Is it possible that the wise men from the East who traveled in search of the Christ were starstruck too? But they were starstruck in a different sense! And so, their motto is not "dream, believe, survive", but DREAM, BELIEVE, SURRENDER!

DREAM: The wise men said that they had seen the star of the Messiah rose in the sky. This means that they had been watching out for this star. In a way, they had been dreaming of seeing one day the rising of this star, for they knew what it meant. The rising of star means the fulfillment of the age-old promise of Messiah for Israel and for the whole world. Their lives have been shaped by this dream. And they did not stop until their dream would be realized.

BELIEVE: Not only did the wise men dream. They also believed that the sign of the star was pointing to a reality. They believed in the promise of God, so they eagerly awaited for the rising of the star. They believed that by following the star, they would be led to the Messiah. They believed that they would find the Christ even if it meant leaving homes, traveling through dirt roads and cold nights, even if it meant facing King Herod who would be threatened by their purpose.

SURRENDER: The wise men’s search and the finding of the Christ-child was not to be a game of survival. It was not of their own efforts alone that they would find the Messiah. That is why they have to be led by the stars and by advised by the experts in Jerusalem. They would have to surrender to powers greater than themselves. And upon finding the Child, they bowed down in adoration, a gesture of surrender to the majesty of the King laid on the manger.

DREAM, BELIEVE, SURRENDER! On this solemnity of the Epiphany which brings us closer to the end of the Christmas season, and as we begin a New Year, let us be starstruck, not by fame or fortune, but by Christ Himself, the Star of our lives.