Texts, emails, and conversations buzzed as we threw possible magazine names around. Yet as the brainstorming unfolded, I found myself returning to the question: “But what will the magazine be about?”
Though unnamed, our magazine was finally in motion. As Mikaela researched printing, distribution, and layout design, I noted that the seeds of an idea almost seven years old were finally beginning to grow. Over the years we’d tossed around the idea of starting a magazine, but it was more of a long-term dream than an attainable goal. However, as I brainstormed themes and article ideas, the realization struck me that what had once seemed merely a late-night college pipe dream was becoming a reality.
But we still needed a name. Our aim was to create a magazine where world weary travelers could return to their roots and find respite on this journey to Heaven, and we wanted the name to encompass that goal. We needed a word that could weave together both the beautiful and trivial moments of everyday life as a Catholic in the modern world.
After much deliberation, I started to wonder if both the English and Latin languages had failed us. However, though I’d given up, Emily was determined to find a winner. At last, she proposed the Latin word Trivium, which means crossroads: three (tri-) roads/ways (via). It was perfect. We finally had a title.
Here at the crossroads, amid the noise of the modern world, we strive to reclaim the truth of being made in God’s image and likeness: body, mind, and soul.
From Trivium came the adjective trivialis, meaning “found everywhere, commonplace.” As the seasons ebb and flow, we are called back to the same simple truths and beckoned to return to the roots where we came from. As we stumble down the paths of life, we gather bits and pieces of information and wisdom, learning with delight that the struggles and joys we encounter are not new to us, but were also experienced in generations past. Though the modern world has its own unique set of challenges, we find that the paths to Heaven are lined with common things.
Sitting down to write this introduction, I cannot help but reflect that since the seeds of Trivium have finally begun to sprout, the season of planting those initial seeds has come to an end, to be replaced by the season of nurturing. The act of nurturing can only begin when there is something to nurture. It presupposes the existence of soil, seeds, and garden. But nurturing is not limited to the care of vegetables and flowers.
It extends to every aspect of our lives, from the care we received as children, to our spiritual lives, our homes, and our communities. The little saplings of virtue in our lives must be cared for, tended, and nurtured into full growth, like a mighty oak tree growing up from a tiny acorn. To properly grow as a modern Catholic, it is not enough to plant the seeds of religious practice, intellectual endeavors, deep friendship, strong community, personal health, and flourishing family life. We must continue to recommit to these goals, nurturing them, and helping them put down firm roots in our lives.
Here’s to a thriving garden of virtue, fields of community, and a harvest of joy in our Heavenly home.
Rachel Gerring
Executive Editor
