The Fire of that First Love
By Tim Margiotta
Fiat Ventures
Mary, the Holy Mother of God and the Epiphany of the Lord
So here we are a little more than a week after Christmas Day. All the Christmas shopping is long done, the candles of the Advent wreath have almost burned through, and thoughts of life after Christmas music, lights, and decorations are probably creeping into your mind. New Years Day is behind us and resolutions for 2016 are being put into action and probably tested already. If you have kids, then most likely the old toys have been packed up and new toys have made their home, all are anxiously awaiting a return to school tomorrow (including mom and dad), and life seems to be ready to spring forward at full speed! Well before we jump into the start of the week, let’s take a few minutes to revisit what the Lord has for us today.
On January 1st we celebrated the solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. What a wonderful feast to start the year on! Recently my wife Sofia and I decided to work through a book together 33 Days To Morning Glory. It is a guide to making Marian Consecration in 33 days and is based not only on St. Louis De Montfort and his process of Marian consecration but also on the Marian insights of St. John Paul II, St. Maximilian Kolbe and Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Needless to say, it was a very blessed journey for us and one that will continue to bear fruit for the rest of our lives. Among the many things that struck me as I got to pray and meditate on Our Mother was the moment of Mary’s “fiat” or “yes” in response to the news that she was to become the mother of God. She didn’t respond with a “Yes, BUT let me get married first” or a “Yes IF you promise to protect me” or even a “Yes WHEN I’m a bit older and ready for this”. Her response sets the bar in terms of trust and faith in God – it was an eager “YES!” knowing that she was being invited to take part in God’s loving plan for the salvation of mankind.
It then brings us to today, the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. The Epiphany celebrates the various ways that Christ made his divinity and mission known to the world, mainly the events of the visit of the Magi, the baptism of Jesus and the miracle at Cana. On this day I would ask us to reflect, “How has Jesus made Himself known to us?” Most likely, we can all think back to that first real encounter with Christ or a time in our life when we truly met Jesus and were captured by His life and His love for us. Do you remember the fire of that important step in the relationship – the excitement, the newness, and the passion? Do you still burn with that fire or has it diminished to a small flame or even gone out completely?
As we begin this new year of 2016, let’s resolve to rediscover the fire of that first love – when Jesus captured our attention, breathed life into the depths of our hearts and made himself known to us. And as we respond to that love, let our “Yes!” not be followed by ifs, buts or whens but rather an eager and solid resolve to follow Him, the star of our lives, wherever He leads us. Mary, Holy Mother of God and our mother, pray for us.
