Light and Adoration

Here in our little desert oasis, during Advent and Christmastide, with joy we have followed the radiance of His Star to Bethlehem and there we remain, adoring the tiny Baby!

It is not surprising that on that first Christmas even the heaven’s shone forth a special light – a Christmas Star – guiding adorers to His humble and quite hidden throne, a lowly manger.  After all, in Him was life, and the life was the LIGHT of all people.  Even in the darkness of our own day and of our own heart, the LIGHT continues to shine, and the darkness cannot overcome it (see Jn 1:4-5).

The Magi (and each one of us) found a Baby King, but perhaps He was not what they were expecting.  He is always more, infinitely more – though often appearing less, so very much less.  This paradox is not something to conquer and figure out…but rather something that is meant to conquer our proud hearts, something to which we are called to surrender.  Entering this mystery with feet unshod, we receive the freedom to embrace the Babe in the perplexities and paradoxes found in the stable of our own hearts.

The Baby brings us to our knees in adoration not by violence or a show of power.  We lay our costliest gifts before Him with abandon not for any hope of return, but only wishing there was more to give.  The movement to adore this Child wells up from deep within us , for we see Him – the Incarnate Word, of the Father’s Love Begotten – laying swaddled, poor, vulnerable, tiny in His Mother’s arms.    The same movement to adore wells up from deep within us when we meet Him again in the Eucharist.

The Light overcomes our darkness.  We become one with the light.  Such is the gift that the Baby brings us.  Such is our hope.

We pray that each of you received copious graces during this holy time…and that these graces  continue to bear fruit as we now begin the journey in Ordinary Time!

Enjoy a few pics from celebration of Epiphany!