January 2012 Prayer and Reflection

From the January 2012 cover of Living with Christ

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Advent Starry Night 4 Virginia Wieringa (1947- ) LOCATION: Private collection, prints available CREDIT: © Virginia Wieringa, 2010

By Living with Christ Staff

Advent Starry Night 4
Virginia Wieringa (1947- )

Advent Starry Night 4 by Virginia Wieringa (1947- ) is one of a series of paintings she created over five years as meditations on the night sky when Christ was born. Wieringa wondered what it would have been like to be there on that night of blazing stars and, inspired by the passion of Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night (1889), she used intense brushstrokes to convey the power, mystery, and joy of that wonderful night of the Epiphany to the mysterious travelers from the East. While the other stars dance in celebration, the central star points to Bethlehem, even as it foreshadows the cross on which Christ redeemed us.

As the Magi near, they cannot take their eyes off the star that lights up the City of David, the place where they will find the child whose birth is the reason they left the comfort and security of their homes. Despite the distance that still remains, they are faithful to the path marked out by the star.

If you wish, sit quietly with the picture and reflect on the following questions:

What might these travelers be saying to each other?

Where does the “star” of faith shine most brilliantly in my life?

Where am I in my journey to where Christ’s star is leading me?

How does my life reflect the joy of the star of faith?

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Living with Christ Staff

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