The Bethlehem Star
The Bethlehem Star is a 50-page e-magazine of historical fiction for the month of Jesus’ birth, a one-time-only publication of Scripture on Stage of Livonia, Michigan, with fictional 1st century Jewish reporters covering all the various Nativity stories from the Infancy Narratives of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, with a bunch of extra stories, sports, weather, letters to our readers, etc. to enhance the experience of immersion in the events and people of this time. It is written by John Dzwonkowski, M.A. Theology, former 9-year (college & grad school) seminarian with The Maryknoll Fathers of New York, retired Director of Religious Education for his own St. Priscilla Catholic Parish, and current Master Catechist with the Archdiocese of Detroit. John is also a Catholic playwright, having written, produced, and directed 25+ plays, primarily exploring the great variety of emotions, challenges, struggles, conflicts, and joys surrounding the ministry of Jesus, but especially the events of his birth, and then of his passion, death, and resurrection. John is also the co-founder of St. Priscilla's Movie & Drama Ministry; as well as his own theatrical venture of 30 years so far, Scripture on Stage; through which he performs live 60 and 90-minute theatrical productions of An Evening with Simon Peter, An Evening with St. Joseph, and Peter & Magdalen ...on Jesus, all for solely a Free Will Offering to various parishes throughout the Detroit Archdiocese, complete with myriad emotion-charged music, stage lighting, multiple props, and even a 14' tall Roman crucifix that is used by Peter to demonstrate how this was done by the Romans. John has also published through his Scripture on Stage a comparable fictional e-mag of 58 pages, The Jerusalem Star, supposedly published in Jerusalem of the 1st century on the Sunday evening of Jesus' resurrection. Here we again have a variety of fictional 1st century Jewish reporters covering the various events of Jesus' passion, death, and resurrection, but from their close-up point of view.
The Bethlehem Star is a 50-page e-magazine of historical fiction for the month of Jesus’ birth, a one-time-only publication of Scripture on Stage of Livonia, Michigan, with fictional 1st century Jewish reporters covering all the various Nativity stories from the Infancy Narratives of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, with a bunch of extra stories, sports, weather, letters to our readers, etc. to enhance the experience of immersion in the events and people of this time.
It is written by John Dzwonkowski, M.A. Theology, former 9-year (college & grad school) seminarian with The Maryknoll Fathers of New York, retired Director of Religious Education for his own St. Priscilla Catholic Parish, and current Master Catechist with the Archdiocese of Detroit. John is also a Catholic playwright, having written, produced, and directed 25+ plays, primarily exploring the great variety of emotions, challenges, struggles, conflicts, and joys surrounding the ministry of Jesus, but especially the events of his birth, and then of his passion, death, and resurrection.
John is also the co-founder of St. Priscilla's Movie & Drama Ministry; as well as his own theatrical venture of 30 years so far, Scripture on Stage; through which he performs live 60 and 90-minute theatrical productions of An Evening with Simon Peter, An Evening with St. Joseph, and Peter & Magdalen ...on Jesus, all for solely a Free Will Offering to various parishes throughout the Detroit Archdiocese, complete with myriad emotion-charged music, stage lighting, multiple props, and even a 14' tall Roman crucifix that is used by Peter to demonstrate how this was done by the Romans.
John has also published through his Scripture on Stage a comparable fictional e-mag of 58 pages, The Jerusalem Star, supposedly published in Jerusalem of the 1st century on the Sunday evening of Jesus' resurrection. Here we again have a variety of fictional 1st century Jewish reporters covering the various events of Jesus' passion, death, and resurrection, but from their close-up point of view.
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The Bethlehem Star
Pg. XIV
Frankincense, so often used as an offering to our God. We
also bring myrrh, that richest of ointments used for special
healing and to inter the deceased, as this Chosen One will
have to undergo much suffering before His work is
complete. May they be symbols not only of this child’s
stature in the eyes of the Divine, but may they also serve to
protect him on his journey.”
Then Balthasar leaned in to
me, a sharp gleam in his spirited
eyes. “But, for Earthly giftgiving,
there is no better
protection than gold, my friend,
the currency of kings. It travels
light, and it provides whatever
they may need, ...at least for a
time.”
“Gold.” I said.
“Gold!” he answered.
“You seem so sure,” I said to
them, “that the one to be born is
to be a king. How can you know
that?”
Again they looked at one
another, and then up to that star.
Then Melchior touched my
shoulder. “Our Father above,” he
said, in a more solemn, more
meditative tone, “does not release
a bright new star like that into our
heavens without using it to tell us
something special is about to
happen.”
“What do you mean?” I
asked him.
“The III of us all see peace in
this star. We believe that, because
of the way it shines, the
brightness it brings, and the very
sense of awe and tranquility that
it has brought to each of us who
has studied it, that this star means
that our world is on the edge of
great change for the better.
We saw today that your King
Herod is a rather sickly man. He
may go down in history as a great
builder, but he is not the
statesman that his father
Antipater was. And the sons of
his that we met today from
several of his X wives seem
every bit as ruthless as he. Following his passing, we
see very difficult times ahead for this land.
Within a lifetime, however, we now look to
greatness for the people of Yahweh, and we believe
that the source of this greatness will be found
wherever this star will lead us.”
A page from Kasper’s notebook
Celestial Observations DCCXLVII
Month of Tammuz — II celestial bodies, Jupiter and Saturn, have
been brought very close together in constellation of Pisces. Jupiter -
“The King’s Star.” Saturn - “The Defender of Palestine.” Perhaps new
King to appear as defender of Palestine? Pisces—constellation of
Fishes. Remember—this constellation always associated with Syria
and Palestine, and represents epochal events to take place there when
signs appear. Could this mean a defender King to appear in the land of
Palestine? Stay watchful!
Month of Cheshvan — after separation of celestial bodies for last III
months; now brought together again.
Month of Kislev— Saturn and Jupiter once again separated, then
rejoined. close to Mars, all in constellation of Pisces again. Weather
turning cold. Contact Balthasar and Melchior. We must journey west
to Palestine to find its meaning! This may not last much longer!
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