The Southern Cross – Our Light in the Heavens

The first time I visited the Southern Hemisphere was over 40 years ago on a trip to South Africa. Like many first-time visitors I was astonished by the galaxy of stars. There were far more than I was used to in Europe and the constellations were brighter. One of the most distinct is the Southern Cross which is visible all year round. It is a familiar symbol of home for people in the Southern Hemisphere and appears on the Brazilian flag as well as that of four other countries. I now live in Brazil and although I am now accustomed to these magical nocturnal displays I am still as astonished by the spectacle as I was all those decades ago.

When I look at this galaxy - which contains between 100 billion and 400 billion stars – I wonder how each star, a planet on its own right, fits into the greater scheme. I find myself comparing we Catholics with the stars. There are about 1.4 billion of us yet every unit within that vast figure, i.e. you and me, is a unique individual. Although the billions of stars seem to be close to the naked eye, they are actually light years away from each other.

As for us, we may be far from our fellow Catholics in other countries and continents but we are not light years apart. Obviously we cannot have a personal relationship with every one of our fellow believers but we share a sense of kindred with all of them. Think of the things that unite us – the Pope, the liturgy, the feast days like Easter and Christmas, the saints´ days, whether universal like St Joseph and St Paul or national like St Andrew in Scotland or St Patrick in Ireland.

The mass is the immediate bond for all of us and we can go every day of the year if we want as well as on Sundays. Think what it is like to take part in a mass surrounded by the faithful. For the sake of argument let´s make it a solemn mass held in a grand cathedral. Imagine the joy of the shared experience of worshiping God, participating in the rites of the Catholic Church, praying and chanting together, lining up for Communion while the choir sings in the background. What a glorious experience it is.

But what happens when we leave this cathedral where we celebrated the magnificent mass and return home and find ourselves alone? As we lie in bed waiting for sleep we may face what the Spanish mystic St John of the Cross called the “dark night of the soul”. This can be a terrifying experience of isolation and desolation and the solidarity of your brothers and sisters in Christ of  a few hours earlier is no longer there to give you the courage to face the reality of your thoughts.

This is when we need faith. We need the reassurance that only faith can provide and, in our case, it is the Catholic faith that brings an unshakeable belief in the Holy Spirit. God knows we are often lost and need reassurance that our lives are not being undertaken in vain. The search for a meaning in life is instinctive in the human species and the reason for faith.

The French philosopher Voltaire wrote that "If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him". This might sound cynical but in fact he was opposing the idea of atheism since he believed that faith in God was a moral necessity. Others have voiced the same view. In Dostoevsky’s novel “The Possessed” the character Stavrogin kills himself because he has lost God and any sense of morality.

To return to the stars, Man has always looked to the skies for divine guidance. The stars provided light in the darkness and it is no coincidence that our ancestors saw Heaven as being in the sky. Early Man looked up at the heavens and saw the constellations and wondered how these millions of stars related to him. He saw the stars as a message from God. Centuries later the Magi looked at a star and followed it to Bethlehem where they saw Our Savior.

As Leonardo da Vinci put it, “Fix your course on a star and you'll navigate any storm.” Let your faith guide you is what I would say.

© John Brander Fitzpatrick 2026