Today is Epiphany, and it is an epiphany, a revelation. The baby born in the stable is revealed to be the king of all. The light of the star showed the way. He is recognized by the magi, the wise men. He is what we were preparing for and waiting for through Advent. And this is what all that advent preparation was all about. The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.  We have prepared a way for the Lord, and he has come.  We are the people who walked in darkness, but now we have seen the great light. The light is here and it is resplendent. Our preparations were appropriate and successful, and the Lord is come.

The Christmas Star
By Tamora Whitney

Was it a conjunction of earths,
of planets, Jupiter and Saturn, high in the air?
or the supernova of a sun shooting its fire?
It doesn't matter; its light flowed like water.
Whatever it was, the star portended a spirit.

The star was the symbol--the birth of the spirit
the link between Heaven and earth.
A baby in a trough meant for animals' water
and in the light of the star in the bright air
the voices of angels burst like fire

Brilliant as the star's fire
was the glow of the spirit
making like day the clear night air
beaming its allegiance to the earth
its light like raindrops shining down like water

As life-giving as water
burning fierce as fire
solid as earth
was the advent of the spirit
radiating through the winter air

connecting all--the star high in the air
its light as clear as water
its gleam as a brilliant fire
its meaning -- the love-- the spirit
made flesh and come to earth