The Star Interrupted

Et ecce stella, quam viderant in oriente, praecedebat eos, usque dum venit et stetit super caput pueri. Ex hoc ostenditur loco, quia cum aliquantulum stella adduxisset magos prope Jeruslaem, absconita est ab eis, ut relicti a stella cogerentur in Jerusalem interrogate de Christo, simul et manifestare de illo propter duas causa. Primum, ad confusionem Judaeorum: quoniam quidem gentiles stellae tantummodo visione confirmati Christum etiam per alienas provincias requirebant: et Judaei ab infantia prophetias legentes de Christo, et in suis finibus natum, non susceperunt. Deinde, ut interrogati sacerdotes, unde nascerentur Christus, ad praejudicium suum responderent de Bethelehem: quia qui Herodem docuerant de Christo, ipsi ignorabant de illo. Si enim jugiter apparuisset, in Bethlehem eos fuerat deductura, et ideo non fuissent coacti interrogando nuntiare de illo. Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum, Homilia Secunda Source: Migne PG 56.641

And behold the star, which they had seen in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over the child. 1 From this passage it appears that the star, having led them for a time near to Jesualem, was lost to them, and abandoned by it they were forced to ask about Christ in Jerusalem, at the same time giving revelation about Him for two reasons. First, to the confusion of the Jews, because certain Gentiles by the mere sight of a star were emboldened to seek the Christ through foreign lands, but the Jews, readers of the infant prophecies regarding Christ and the location of His birth, did not attend to it. Second, when the priests were questioned about where Christ would be born, with their judgement they answered that it was Bethlehem, because those who had taught Herod concerning Christ were ignorant about Him. Therefore if the star had appeared to them without interruption, it would have led them straight on into Bethlehem, and so they would not have been obliged by question to give announcement of Him. Opus Imperfectum on Matthew, from The Second Homily 1 Mt 2.9