‘What made these men of the East set out on their journey? Let us look to ourselves and ask: How is the journey of my faith going? This is a question that each one of us can ask ourselves today. Faith, if it is to grow, has to begin ever anew. It needs to be sparked by desire, to take up the challenge of entering into a living and lively relationship with God. Does my heart still burn with desire for God? Or have I allowed force of habit and my own disappointments to extinguish that flame? Let us never forget this: the journey of faith finds renewed strength and fulfilment only when it is made in the presence of God. Only if we recover our “taste” for adoration will our desire be rekindled. In this way, like the Magi, we will have the daily certainty that even in the darkest nights, a star continues to shine. It is the star of the Lord, who comes to care for our frail humanity. Let us set out on the path towards him. Like the Magi, let us lift up our eyes, listen to the desire lodged in our hearts, and follow the star that God makes shine above us.’ Pope Francis, St Peter’s Basilica, Rome, 6 January, 2022