Monday of the Third Week of Advent
(Numbers 24:2-7.15-17a; Matthew 21:23-27)
All recognize the star as a symbol of Christmas. Of course, the star refers to the passage in
the gospel of Matthew where the Magi launch their search for the “King of the
Jews” after seeing his star arise. That
star has a reference as well in today’s first reading from the Old Testament.
The Moab nation is threatened by Israel under Moses’ command. Its king calls on Balaam, a pagan prophet, to
curse Moab’s nemesis. Balaam, however,
upon seeing Israel, cannot curse it. On
the contrary, he must acknowledge its rising among the nations of the
land. He predicts that in the distant
future the rise of a star belonging to a person who will bring Israel great
blessing. Christians hold that this star
is the one seen by the Magi belonging to Jesus.
Jesus is the star on which we hang our hopes. He has died to conquer the evil in our lives and
has risen from the dead to promise us eternal life. We accept his grace and follow his teachings
so that we might too experience resurrection from the dead.
