Have you ever met a hopeful person? They navigate life with a particularly clear sense of direction.
This Advent, we can turn our eyes to the wise men who were the original Pilgrims of Hope. We can think of the wise men as the first group of people who embarked on a journey of hope, in search of Christ. Their precious gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, suggest to us that they were hopeful on seeing someone extraordinary. For why would anyone carry such expensive gifts on a journey at risk of being robbed? Their hearts must have been enkindled with a special little flame of hope. Upon seeing Christ, their lives were entirely enlightened by the radiance from the Child - liberating them to offer Him their very best! Radically transformed, they fearlessly returned home in a new way, forever touched by this encounter.
I have an exuberant Jesuit brother who is a hopeful person. He is undeterred in striving to find God wherever he goes - in people, in apostolate work, and even in studies. Therefore, he carries a positive energy ready to encounter God wherever he is at. So far, his pilgrimage has found God reaching out to him through inmates in prisons, indigenous people, and the queer community.
The journey of the wise men parallels our spiritual journey. Conversion begins with a pilgrimage - following the star that leads us to Christ. Our lives become illumined with hope and possibilities when we encounter that Star. He emboldens us to advocate for justice, energises us with joy and grants us a peace that transcends what the world can offer. As we walk through Advent towards Christmas, may the pilgrimage of the wise men inspire us to seek and encounter Hope - enfleshed in the form of a little child.
This Gift
On the road the Magi went, with so much strength and effort spent.
To see the Child, their hearts were bent,
and from His face, a light was sent,
showing them what their lives had meant -
to spread His joy, they now were lent.
This is how their story ends:
to the weak, the poor, they became friends.
No rent, no charge, no selfish trends;
their hearts, now full, no longer fend.
Love unfurled where anger bends,
a holy dwelling where grace descends.
Joel Leong, S.J
1st year Philosophy in Loyola School of Theology