Twinkle, twinkle, little star! How I wonder what you are. Up above the clouds so high. Like a diamond in the sky!”
As you read the lines, the song’s creative melody begins playing in your childlike heart. But science has a wonderful way of ruining this when it says stars don’t twinkle. Let’s leave science behind for a while, and consider why stars indeed twinkle.
This is our untold story of the untwinkling star.
* * *
Even long before a “long time ago” there were stars already filling the heavenly vault. God had studded the sky with so many stars that that night seemed like day. But why this isn’t so now? That we leave for another time.
We often believe that stars are actually far away suns or galaxies radiating their lights and colors. Their varying distance from us make them shine brighter or lesser. The light that reaches our eyes is somewhat delayed and already altered due to the distance it has to travel. But again, let’s leave this to science.
For a moment, allow me to share with you something amazing! What we call light in stars is actually produced by their music. Stars doing music? Isn’t that something for fairy tales?
Perhaps, but unlike fairy tales, their music didn’t have any sound like we hear in this world. Their music, that is, their voices produced light and colors. That is what we can see. But the stars could hear the music of their light in that star-studded orchestra!
Why would they play music or sing songs? It is not certain whether they really sang or played anything, but a harmony of melody they produced. Each star according to his own gifts given by God.
Why? To give glory to God with their praise and joy for being part of God’s creation.
* * *
Now there was one particular moment when God needed a star to continuously sing with its light over the manger where His Son, the Baby Jesus, would be born. So he called for St. Michael to look for the worthy star.
St. Michael immediately searched the heavens and began asking the “older and wiser stars” which one could serve God’s needs.
“My, my,” one of the old stars nodded pensively.
“Do you realize what you’re asking, Michael?” Dimly lit star said.
“What do you mean?” St. Michael was a little confused by the elder star’s question.
“Do you know what it takes for a star to keep itself always brightly singing?”
“You need to sing louder?” Michael guessed.
“Yes, but not only that. He will have to light sing continuously,” a bearded star explained.
“And,” another star interrupted, “that would mean he must untwinkle!”
“Untwinkle?” Michael never heard the word before.
“It’s our way of saying that the star consumes himself in the process!”
“You mean the star will die?” Michael asked.
“If you put it that way,” one of the elder stars said.
“But…”
“It only seems like that, you know,” another star blurted out.
“Seems like what?” Michael clarified.
“Actually our light songs, like everything, has to fade one day, but we continue to shed light in another form.”
“What form is that?” Michael scratched his head.
“We don’t really know. None of those that have moved on have managed to share what it is like.”
“Where will I find a star that would be even willing to untwinkle?” Michael looked at the now big group of elder stars surrounding him.
The older stars looked at one another. Others avoided looking at the others. Then the oldest looking one said, “It will have to be a young star. None of us older ones can untwinkle for too long.”
Michael immediately left the stars and looked for a willing young star.
It is never known how Michael found the star, nor what its name was. Perhaps, we can simply call it the B-Star (Bethlehem Star).
But it is told that the young star didn’t even understand what “untwinkle” meant and didn’t seem too scared about the consequences. When Michael told B that it would be for God’s son, B didn’t think twice to volunteer!
So B sang, and sang and sang! At the start, his music was not as beautiful as the older stars. But he made it a point never to stop. Slowly he produced a magnificent melody. In so doing, his light became brighter and brighter.
It was this star that the three kings saw. B guided them to the manger where Jesus was born.
After that Christmas eve, nothing much is said about B. It was clear, as many saints have commented, no longer needed B because the three kings already found the Star of stars, Jesus Christ.
As dawn gingerly unwrapped itself. B gradually faded from the horizon and gave off his last remaining joyous melody of light.