“We have come to adore him”
Service with the Star

A church service based on the story of the Wise Men from the East
- for young people as a Service of the Word and/or Eucharist -

Preparation

Hymn or song

Opening and Introduction

We have gathered + in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Each of us has a vision of his or her life.
Each of us has a star we want to follow.
Again and again new stars shine out in our lives, and we want to follow them.

A person can be such a star. I like him or her. I admire him or her. Or I fall in love with him or her. I want to be with that person.
A job or profession I would like to do could have the effect of a star on me. When jobs are scarce, it might seem almost unattainable.
Then there are wishes – open or secret wishes.

People who still have wishes and hopes – their stars – are alive. People who have no guiding stars do not make full use of their lives.

In Matthew’s Gospel we hear about people who looked for and interpreted stars. They were professional astronomers. They observed the stars. They discovered new stars they believed were important for people. This star is the star of a new King of the world.
They set off to look for this new King. They literally followed the star, and it showed them the right way. It was their guiding star. It led them.

I want to invite you in this Holy Mass (Service of the Word) to follow the story of the Wise Men, or, as most of us know them, the three kings. We want to read St Matthew’s Gospel stage by stage. We want to enter into the part of the Wise Men. We want to become these Wise Men from the East.

Let us look at the star of our own lives and tell one another about it.
Let us ask what the star means to us.
Let us ask how we can follow our personal star better.

First of all, let us greet and call upon Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Brother and Friend, whom the Wise Men were looking for, and who is in our midst.

Kyrie

Between each text we sing or pray the Kyrie – Lord, have mercy

Lord Jesus Christ, you are here amongst us:
Kyrie, Kyrie eleison

Lord Jesus Christ, the Wise Men discovered you as their guiding star
Christe, Christe eleison

Lord Jesus Christ, the Wise Men came to you and adored you as the Lord of the world
Kyrie, Kyrie eleison

Prayer

God of life,
you love us and remain close to us.
You go with us on our path through life.
You gave us your Son, Jesus Christ, to be our guiding star,
so that we would not miss the goal of our lives.
Help us to see and understand the big and little stars of our lives
as pointers to you.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Part 1

Gospel Part 1: Mt 2,1-2

“We have seen his star rising …”

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at it rising, and have come to pay him homage.”

Pointers

In this section we will follow the first two steps of “Looking for God’s Footprints”, the meditation “SMS from God”: Remember and share.


The history of God’s dealings with us is not something we have imagined. It happens in our actual lives. Just as it did at that time with the Wise Men. At that time it was “the time of King Herod”.
God wants to be with us today just as really as at that time – here and now, this year, this moment. Our faith is not some cloud cuckoo land, it is not a figment of our imagination. We believe that God wants to be close to us here and now.

The Wise Men discovered a new star.
Put up the poster with the picture of the star.
As scientists they thought that the star meant that a new and important King had been born. They thought that this new King had to live in the Land of Judah.
We, each one of us, perhaps all of us together, have a star in our lives – people who are important to us, or experiences we would not do without.

I would now like to ask you to set off like the Wise Men. We want to do this in practice by going off in twos or threes for a walk.
Who or what is like a star to me in my life?
Who is so important to me that he or she is like a star shining in my life?
What upholds me and shows me the way in my life?
Or, have I been looking for a star, but have not found it so far?
In our discussion, let us honour each one’s privacy.

Let us set off. We will meet again in fifteen minutes.
There are some more questions on the papers that are now being given out. You can discuss these as well.

While the young people/congregation leave, meditative music is played.

The young people are invited to write down what their star in life is on the prepared sheets of paper with the picture of a star.
The young people can put up their page around the large star.

Part 2

While the young people/congregation return, meditative music is played.

The young people/congregation are asked to remain in their little groups of twos or threes.

Gospel Part 2: Mt 2, 3-6

- “for so it has been written by the prophet” – the interpretation of the Bible -

When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him: and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’

Pointers for Discussion:

In this section we will be following the third step of “Looking for God’s Footprints”, the meditation “SMS from God”: Discover

In the text from the Bible we hear the reaction of the people to the star. The Wise Men were happy and set off to find the new King.
King Herod in Jerusalem was frightened, and with him the people in Jerusalem. Herod was thinking that the new King could compete with him. He would challenge his right to the throne. So he had to be removed.
Yet both groups have one thing in common – they asked what it could mean? With the help of the High Priest and the scribes that looked in the Bible to find the meaning. They discovered it in the Book of the Prophet Micha. There we read (5,2ff.):

One of the young people reads out the text:

This is the star for all humankind: A prince will be born who is like a shepherd to his people. He will give them security and bring them peace.
So the star means – a good ruler, security and peace.

Here the prepared cards/pages can be put up around the big star.

It is worthwhile setting off to look for such a star.

We have told one another what our star is.

Let us take a few minutes to speak with our neighbour about the following:

• What do I want to call my star?
  
• How important is it to me?
  
• Does it mean security and freedom to me, or ….?
  
• What part does Jesus Christ play in my life? Does he have the same meaning as a guiding star which I want to follow in my life?

We close our discussion by telling God in silence about what we really want, or by telling him how we really feel now.

Part 3

In this section we want to follow the fourth step of “Looking for God’s Footprints”, the meditation “SMS from God”: Answer.

Gospel Part 3: Mt 2,7-11

“They knelt down and paid him homage”

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Pointers:

The Wise Men had discovered the star and set out to find it. The discovered what the star meant: a new ruler had been born, who would give humankind security and peace. So they set off again to give him their answer to what they had discovered:

• They again saw the star moving in front of them.
  
• The sight of the star filled them with joy.
  
• They found Jesus and his Mother.
  
• They fell down and adored Jesus.
  
• They brought him their gifts.

Our gifts today are our guiding stars which we have put up around the big star, which stands for Jesus Christ.
Yet we also have things we want to ask for – for ourselves and our world:

Young people present these or other petitions:

• We pray for all people who are looking for the guiding star of their lives - help them to find people who will show them how to live.
  
• We pray for the Church – may she shine out like a star for the people, so that they can find the way to Jesus Christ.
  
• We pray for all Christians – may they be convincing messengers of love and God’s closeness to those around them.
  
• We pray for ourselves – may we be filled with joy like the Wise Men. May we follow our guiding stars with joy, in particular Jesus Christ.

Holy Mass can now follow.
During the preparation of the gifts, the “stars of our lives” we have written on the pages can be brought to the altar with the gifts.

Before the final blessing, as well as within the framework of a Service of the Word, a fourth part can follow.

Part 4

In this fourth section we will follow the fourth step of “Looking for God’s Footprints”, the meditation “SMS from God”, into everyday life: Answer

Gospel Part 4: Mt 2,12

-

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Conclusion:

The Wise Men could not remain in Bethlehem. They returned to their home countries. But they went by a different way. They not only used a different way because they did not want to fall into Herod’s hands, but because they had themselves become different people. They had experienced something that had changed them. The star had given their lives a new direction.
So, at the end of this service, we are also invited to set off. Through this service something has also changed within us. We have seen the star of our lives more clearly. We have also seen more clearly that Jesus Christ wants to be the guiding star of our lives.
At the end of this service we want to ask for hope, so that we will never lose sight of the star of our lives, in particular Jesus Christ.
The message of this service has been that God is with us. Jesus Christ goes with us and wants to be our guiding star. We are invited to tell others about this message as the disciples did.