Dear Kaleid Ladies,
Good morning! Blessings on your Wednesday!
Tomorrow is Epiphany—the day the Church recalls the star in the East and the Magi’s visit to Jesus. During Epiphany, we thank God for revelation and for being a relentlessly committed evangelist. For showing up in the stars and in a manger. For coming to the curious who are new to the whole narrative and to the humble who have already lived whole chapters in the story God is telling. When God’s light comes at Epiphany, it comes in the form of a common baby revealed by an uncommon exploding star. And, for anyone with eyes to see, the light of God’s revelation instills purpose, clarity, courage, and hope.
May it be so for you this week, too.
Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
Isaiah 9:1-2
Over the next few weeks, during Epiphany, we will be thinking about light. Did you know that Jesus said, “I am the light of the world”? (John 8:12) You probably did. Did you know that Jesus said, “You are the light of the world”? (Matthew 5:14). You probably knew that, too.
But have you ever stopped to consider that Jesus is inviting us into a mirror-image relationship to him, where we shine in the world as he shines in the world?
It is sort of shocking. Nowhere in the Scriptures does Jesus call his followers shepherds, doors, life, or truth. Nowhere does he call us the true vine or the way or the resurrection. Of all the “I am” statements of Jesus, he passes only one on to us. Light. He is the light of the world. We are the light of the world.
So, it’s worth considering light. It’s worth asking what light does. It’s worth pondering how understanding ourselves as “lit up” in the same way as Jesus can change the way we love others, God, and even ourselves.
We hope you’ll enjoy our journey of light on the Kaleid blog in the coming weeks!
If you want to check out the Kaleid community this month, join us for our free Contemplative Circle on Wednesday mornings (January 12, 19 and 26th), where we will spend time practicing the Prayer of Examen as we consider the Jewish prayer known as The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). And, if you want to dive in with Kaleid this spring, mark your calendars for April 21-22, which will be our Spring Retreat at the Ignatius House! We’d love to have you!
May the light of Christ shine in your heart today, friends!
The Kaleid Team
P.S. - Listen as T.S. Eliot reads his poem Journey of the Magi here: https://poetryarchive.org/poem/journey-magi/ or listen to this Spotify playlist for Epiphany (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/41Ilz2RivPSqzlzxaN2SIF)
Comments