I am sure you have heard it said many times that life is a journey, and of course a journey usually takes us to a destination. Today's Gospel tells us that three wise men set out on a journey from the east in search of the " infant king of the Jews ", the Messiah.

These men steadfast in their resolution of following the divine call and fearless of danger, travel a long distance, inquire, explore and let themselves be conducted by the star to the place where they were to see and worship their saviour.

There they met a silent babe, dependent on a mother's care, giving no sign of power. St Matthew tells us that they fell on their knees and did him homage, then opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.

The journey of life is similar to that of the wise men. We are often in search of a better life, a more fulfilled life and it also involves a long winding journey with up hills and down hills, with several stops for inquiry for direction and of course we are influenced or guided along by some person, vision or idea.

Recently, I was speaking to someone who was sharing a bit of her life's journey, she was recalling her ups and downs, her achievements and disappointments, the things she wanted in life and how often, when she thought she had captured the pearl of great price it wasn't indeed a pearl because after a short while she felt just as unfulfilled as she had felt before.

One day she was invited by some friends to do community service in her own neighbourhood. She did not hesitate because her friends needed her assistance. She became involved in the community giving of her time and her talent but what she did not bargain for was the transformation that came over her.

She claimed that it was the village people who taught her about life. It was through them that she found new life. Witnessing to their contentment with life, their community spirit of sharing the fruits of the land and their simple lifestyle helped to put meaning to her own life.

Working in the community brought her many epiphany moments of " seeing the child with his mother, Mary, and falling on her knees she did him homage, and opened her treasures ." After many years of searching, the star eventually " halted over the place where the child was ".

On our journey of life it is normal to lose our way and find it again several times along the way. In our world today, and here in Trinidad and Tobago, it is especially difficult for our young people who are distracted by the several "stars" they follow.

They sometimes journey through the false roads of glamour, brand names, dress, music, cars, money - a lifestyle that really only exists on the movie screen.

They seem to lack the encouragement and guidance to help them distinguish between the star that leads and halts over the place where the child is and that very attractive, "bling-bling", of no substance, of little value - a star that is not theirs and leads to nowhere really.

As we reflect on the Epiphany of the Lord, let us celebrate our own epiphany moments when "we followed the star until it halted over the place where the child was and falling on our knees we did him homage and opened our treasures".

Let us also pool our resources and find, discover or explore ways of empowering our young people so that they can follow their own star and live good, productive lives.

Lord, some of our men and women have lost their way and have been through our penal institutions but on their release from prison, "there in front of them was the star they had once seen rising.

The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother, Mary". Lord, we pray that these men and women will be beacons of light for other men and women so that they too will encounter you on their journey.

Lord, always send people into our lives who will help us to stay focused in spite of the many distractions we encounter on our journey of life. Send guidance to the young people of our nation and help them to recognise the star that halted over the place where the child was so that they can go and do him homage and offer their treasures to him.

Lord, we thank you for the times when you allow us to:

. to take Holy Communion to the sick

. to attend to handicapped persons

. to be of service to the poor and marginalised

. to care for the young ones in our classrooms

These are the epiphany moments of our lives where we meet the silent babe dependent on his mother's care and falling on our knees we do him homage and offer our treasures.

Lord, peoples of many cultures have seen the star and are searching for Jesus. I pray for the Church that it may never feel threatened by those who inquire about him but will create opportunities for all peoples to open their treasures of their cultures and offer their gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh as they find him on their journey of life.

Bernadette Salandy retired from primary school teaching last year. She is a parishioner of St Anthony's, Petit Valley and a proof reader of the Catholic News .