What the Wise Men reveal…

With Christmas still lingering in our hearts as the New Year begins, the Church continues the celebration with the feast of the Epiphany, holding up to us the figures of the Wise Men, or Magi.

We may easily overlook the Magi, as there are so many figures in the Nativity story that captivate our attention – the hometown shepherds, the choirs of angels, our beloved Joseph and Mary, and of course, the Baby Jesus! Yet, this year, my heart was drawn to the Wise Men. Tradition has it that each of these men studied the stars independently and thus set out alone from their respective locations to find the Messiah, whose coming was foretold in the skies. Can you imagine their joy upon encountering one another on the road? It must have been an immense delight to discover someone else whose world had also turned upside down through the revelations they had found in their day-to-day charting of the heavens. And you know they must have been singing, “OOOoooooo, Star of Wonder…”!

Their decision to leave behind the familiar to follow this call from Heaven, which the celestial signs motivated, was now confirmed in meeting others who had also wrestled with what seemed imprudent in the eyes of family and friends. This call to go out and find the Lord, to worship Him, was deepened in their hearts as they traveled now together on this common mission. Sound familiar?

In these Wise Men, we have an image for those called to be consecrated to Jesus! Is this not the simple, yet profound, experience of His Divine Initiative? Is this not how, in daily life and prayer, His radiant invitation emerges-beckoning us to leave behind all that we have worked for, for the one thing we didn’t even know we were looking for? And for the one who is called to religious life, this setting out takes courage. It is a personal invitation from the Lord, revealed in a way our hearts can recognize, which likewise awaits our personal, unique response. As the Lord relishes our individual “yes”, which chooses Him in response to His call of love, He sends others who are also on the way! This gift, like the Christ Child’s presence, reminds us-we are never alone.

This is a treasure worth following! 

Opportunities to seek Him anew in 2020:

In New York City:

January 15th: Come and join us at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for the Celebration of the Anniversary of our Founder, John Cardinal O’Connor’s 100th Birthday!

January 18th: The Source Holy Hour

January 22nd : Prayer Vigil for Life at St. Patrick’s Cathedral

In Washington, D.C.:

January 24th: We’ll see you at the Supreme Court at the close of the March for Life!

Lastly, applications for the 2020 GIVEN forum are due February 3rd, 2020. Check out the website here:  https://giveninstitute.com/given-forum-2020/

With prayers for you in this New Year of GRACE,

Sr. Bethany Madonna, SV