This is beautiful. I only have a vague understanding of the Silmarillion, since I've only come across bits and pieces and have yet to actually read it. But I loved how you combined Middle Earth's brightest star Earendil with the Star of Bethlehem.

It was also beautiful as the mariner gazed upon his Creator and started to catch a glimpse of His Love. You did an amazing job with this story.

Thanks a bunch for writing this! After reading the Silmarilion, I thought about the Star of Bethlehem, and I thought that it was interesting idea for the Gil-estel to have been that Star, but I never imagined anyone would write a story about it.
This is a beautiful story!
I have one criticism: Eru Illúvatar means, roughly, "One Father of All." In that case, Illúvatar would be God the Father, and God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son are Distinctly different. I won't go on into the doctrine of the Trinity (which I earnestly believe in), but as a Christian, I just had to point that out.
Sorry for the criticism, it was wonderful reading this story!

I gasped in delight when I saw the summary, and reading the story, I am lost for words. This was a breathtaking masterpiece. VERY, very well done!

I love this so much. Thanks for writing it!

This was wonderful! Thank you for writing this.

Oh my goodness! That was so beautiful and wonderful! It was just so pure and incredible how you wrote it!

AWESOME!

I absolutely love it when people have Biblical references in their stories, and you did this so naturally and artistically. Thank you and may God guide you.

This is quite good. Got a bit of Athenasius going on here lol!

I know you wrote this a long while ago, but I have to say that this is the best one shot I have every read! You did a BEAUTIFUL JOB, writing this! It portrayed the magesty of God beautifully, though no one can truly know how AWESOME God is until we see him. I can only imagine! But this did so much for me, including helping me understand how much my creator loves me. Thank you!

This was a most pleasant story to read, and while I've not read your other stories I would love to see this writing style more often. It reminds me of my own, but most especially of FanFiction author Sauron Gorthaur's own style.

I had in the back of my mind a faint idea that the Star of High Hope had more purposes than just signaling to the East of the Valar's invasion and the overthrowing of Melkor, and I'm glad I was was not the only one. this story, funnily enough, reminds me of my own 27K long novella entitled Great Desire (do not read if you cannot stand graphic language or description; skip instead to Chapter Seven for the Nativity Scene from the Shepherds' point of view), only I did it with the humble tenders of lowly beasts.

However I have a few critiques concerning this story. I would have gone a paragraph or two into Eärendil's thoughts when Manwë tells him of this glorious venture. I would have detailed his unworthiness and perhaps some part of his past explaining why he is unworthy (aside from inherent sinfulness). Then, when he sees the face of Yésus Hristo (Jesus Christ in Quenya), I would dwell a little more on the glory and wonder a mere mortal would feel in the presence of the Second Person of the Trinity. I did that in my own story.

However, nonetheless, you did an epic (and humble) job in rendering this beautiful story. I am proud to count it among my Favorites. Hope to read more of your writing soon. God bless you.

We need more stories like this. This was so beautifully and tenderly written! :,) Why doesn't this have more faves and reviews?!

I have a very rough draft somewhere for a story where the magi are the Blue Wizards and Radagast, and Earendil is indeed the Star, but he doesn't come down. Need to find it and get on it...

*Sorry for the repeated review, I just didn't see the first one so I made another one similar to it...

Love this story! To me the finger-grabbing meant that Eru was saying, "I know who you are." Anyway that's one of the main things I got out of it...

Nice crossover. No. REALLY GOOD crossover. Lovely bit with Earendil walking in among the wise men and looking upon the face of Eru Iluvatar in the form of a Man child. I guess the finger-grabbing part symbolised the fact that Eru, though he was in a baby's body, knew who Earendil was. After all, He is God, isn't He?

I love it. :D Can't think of any improvements to suggest...anyways. Great job.

I absolutely love this story! It touched me deeply and made my heart ache with longing for the beauty hinted at here. The part where the Child clings to Earendil's finger made me weep, because it shows how He desires us even more than we could ever desire Him and how He holds on to us never to let us go when we show even a feeble yes to Him that we want Him.
You get across the true meaning of Christmas really well, expressing both the infinite majesty of God and the humility of His amazing love in restricting Himself so much, "emptying Himself and making Himself nothing" as Paul says.
I also especially appreciate how you portray the purity of Jesus in comparison to which even the brightest star pales. Did you know that Earendil was probably meant as a type of Christ by Tolkien (just as the morning star is a bibilical symbol of Christ in Revelation)? Tolkien took the idea for Earendil from a poem about Christ. I find it a really intriguing idea to put the two together in a story in such an inspired way as you have done.
I really appreciate the reverence and love for Jesus and knowledge of God's character that shines through this story. I can well believe that you were blessed by writing it and it helped you understand your Lover better, since writing such texts is always a reciprocal, twofold blessing, or rather threefold, since He blesses you with this gift and you bless both Him who delights in it and the audience whom you draw closer to Him by it. I'd love to see more like this on here!