The Word–Fr Tony Percy–Rejoicing Exceedingly (Fr Tony says a lot of people have talked about the star over history. Some have approached it from the area of science and physics, etc. Others from faith. I think the most sensible thing I've ever heard was from St John Chrysostom, one of the early church fathers, who says this star is not an ordinary star. It doesn't move the way ordinary stars move. It's more like an invisible power that's now manifested itself as a star precisely because... the people that God is dealing with are people who are used to stars. St Thomas Aquinas used to have this saying that things are received in the mode of the receiver. St Paul received the power of God in and through the mode that was most understandable for him, and likewise the wise men. Very interestingly, and this is very important for our spiritual life and the development of our faith life, Saint Matthew says, "They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." When the wise men saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. So, he's being deliberately redundant because he's trying to ram home the significance of the star. So, they receive this joy, which is magnificent, and we try to receive it ourselves in this time through the proclamation of this passage. Why don't we just stop and think about that phrase. They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy upon seeing the star which then led them to the Christ child.)
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