“[A]nd we saw his glory.” // John 1:14 (From the Alleluia Verse)
We had been walking for what felt like months. It was June in northern Spain, and the Camino de Santiago we had been making a pilgrimage along began to take its toll. The noonday sun finally having faded, we went in search of rest and rehydration. After multiple failed attempts, we found a church with unlocked doors. Our group sighed in relief, leaving behind the worn path, and going in search of quiet side altars and water fountains. Walking through this beautiful church, we all gravitated towards the same side altar depicting the Trinity gazing upon the Blessed Mother as she tenderly held the Christ child.
In this church, we found refuge. We wondered and wrestled with the newly discovered questions that met us along the Camino: What does a yes to Him actually mean? What will it cost? Will He provide? Will there be joy?
And in the home of this church along our way, that also is the Church, Mary took me to Jesus, and I recognized Him to be the answer to the questions of my life. Resting at the feet of and under the maternal gaze of our Lady, I surrendered to Jesus. I asked her to say yes for me that day in a way that I didn’t know how to do myself. Minutes later, the priests who were traveling with us processed in to celebrate Holy Mass for us weary pilgrims, and we beheld the glory of Him who became flesh for us, giving Himself to us again in the Eucharist.
Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation when God became Man and dwelt among us. In a particular way, we are reminded of the grace available to us in claiming our Lady’s fiat, her assent to the redemptive work of the Holy Trinity. Like her, may we ponder God’s mysterious workings in our lives through prayer and surrender, trusting in His will of love for us. May we open our hearts to Him, so that He can make His home in us.
Senite Sahlezghi is a consecrated virgin for the Archdiocese of Denver. Native to Colorado, she is a first generation Eritrean American, is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a master’s in Counseling Psychology, and serves as the School Counselor for St. John Paul the Great Catholic High School. Grateful to be in a place surrounded by mountains and live music, the greatest privilege of her life remains being called to be Christ’s bride.
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