I think we are all in need this year of a truly joy filled Christmas. This year, 2020 has been unusual on so many levels, many disappointments, sadness and uncertainties. We all need a joyful season to renew, refresh and even rebuild ourselves, our country, our Church. Those Christmas things of the past, which seemed so important, like shopping and getting things, mean less this year. Families are looking for love, peace and joy. We are yearning for what our Christmas carols and hymns teach us about Christmas. In this bizarre year, our solar system has decided to give us a Christmas miracle that hasn't been seen in nearly 800 years!
Mark your calendars: on Dec. 21, the winter solstice, we will see what perhaps the Magi and the shepherds saw on that first Christmas Day. Jupiter and Saturn will align so closely in the night sky that they will create a radiant point of light often referred to as the “Star of Bethlehem” or the “Christmas Star”. The last time this close alignment took place was just before dawn on March 4, 1226. “The Great Conjunction”, occurs roughly every 19 to 20 years, but this is the closest the planets will be since the Middle Ages. The next time the Great Conjunction will happen will be March 15, 2080.
To see it, make sure you have a clear view to the southwestsky about 45 minutes after sunset. Sunset on Dec. 21 will be at 4:31PM, so about 5:15ish, look up to the sky! The "Christmas Star" will be visible for about one hour after sunset for the entire fourth week of December. If you have a telescope, you may also be able to see Jupiter and Saturn's largest moons orbiting them that week.
The words of Isaiah remind us: “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.”
Certainly for many people these past 9 months have been dark, and like nine months of waiting—a new birth, a new dawn, a Christmas Star will appear to guide us to the place where the Child is. This is the reason we can rejoice!