Given the world’s current chaos and conflict, it is critically important that we find our North Star. In ancient times, our ancestors navigated long journeys by looking north where the polestar always shines. For us, when we find our North Star we know where we are headed; it organizes our emotions, minds, hearts, and actions. During these confusing and challenging times we need a North Star rooted in God’s truth, beauty, and goodness. In today’s Gospel, we see what happens when the disciples of Jesus follow him as their North Star.
Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying. While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.
James, Peter, and John followed Jesus, their North Star, up a mountain. The mountain signifies a higher state of consciousness, the higher chakras, so to speak. What did they do on the mountain? They prayed! They meditated! They experienced Union with God. Then what? They experienced the light and divinity of Jesus—just as Arjuna saw and experienced the divinity of Krishna. And in this light, they had a vision of Moses and Elijah speaking with Jesus. They realized how we are never alone; heaven and earth work together, and heaven continually brings us help from the unseen realms. The fruit of this experience is that the three disciples became Jesus’ chief ambassadors, embodying his light within themselves.
Now more than ever, we must make God the North Star of our lives. We must give ourselves over to the organizing, stabilizing, and strengthening energies of truth, beauty, and goodness. Prayer and meditation must become as important, even more important, than food and water. We must navigate our lives not by opinion polls or political ideology, but by the teachings of God’s holy emissaries. For the Assisi Institute, these are Jesus, Krishna, Babaji, Baba Lahiri Mahasaya, Sri Yuketwsar, Paramahansa Yogananda, Francis and Claire, the Blessed Mother, and Anandamayi Ma. And finally, like Jesus’ disciples, we must endeavor to become ambassadors of our gurus, reflecting the very same light that shone through them. Bring into your meditation this prayer fromYogananda:
I have made Thee Polestar of my life.
Though my sea is dark,
and my stars are gone,
still I see the path
through Thy mercy.
