A festival becomes true festivity only when man affirms the goodness of his existence by offering the response of joy. -Josef Pieper
Imagine a winding road, weaving its way through a valley, connecting distant places. At the center of the valley the road suddenly branches in two, creating a crossroads, a decision point, a meeting place. Beside these crossroads sits a large building, a final outpost before the vast wilderness expanding across the horizon. Here, where the three paths meet, weary travelers find rest and respite before making their way onward, towards their final destination. Though the road ahead is daunting and unknown, here in the warmth of fire, feasting, and companionship, the travelers revel in the beauty of the moment before them. Conversations abound as each traveler shares tales from their wanderings. Though coming from various backgrounds, they are united by their love of beauty, goodness, and the shared journey they all have undertaken. In this cozy inn, their lives meet for a moment of convivial festivity.
Suddenly a wandering musician rises to play and sing. He regales the room with songs of far-off places, heroic deeds. History enters the room with each soulful verse, moving the hearts of the listeners. Then, a merry soul steals the stage and brings the room to laughter. Up next, a bold warrior gives a rousing speech which is followed by rounds of toasts to those gathered, ending with a toast to the journey ahead. Finally, a blessing is given to the entire company by a pilgrim priest. From beginning to end, the evening has been marked by words. The words of friends and travelers sharing their tales. Words of love, of awe, of mystery. Hauntingly beautiful words from songs of old. Words of encouragement and vigor. Humorous words, gently lifting weary hearts. Words of prayer and blessing, reigniting hearts and souls. As the dusk of evening settles in, the crossroads abound with words.
The next morning the travelers depart, each going their own way once more. But as they journey, the warmth and joy from the night before stays with them. While the road may be dark, the evening of companionship, tears, and laughter gives them renewed resolve to keep going. They continue onward, through the winding valley, over untrod roads, and across the distant mountain range. For they know that the evening at the crossroads was merely a glimpse of what lies ahead. But memories of that night keep their hearts strong, and while the journey is long, eventually they reach their destination and enter. It is then that they realize the importance of those words along the way. Here each word is bound up in an unending song, seamlessly blending tears, laughter, blessing, awe, and love into one glorious whole. Once more, words abound. But unlike the inn at the crossroads, here they never end.
Friends, we are the travelers, journeying through this world on the path to Heaven. We each have slightly different roads leading to Heaven, but at times we find that they intersect, allowing us to have a moment of companionship along the way. When we first began Trivium Magazine, my hope was that we could create a place for world weary travelers to return to their roots and find respite on the journey to Heaven. At first, we thought that we would be providing that spot of rest through our own writings. But as submissions kept pouring in, we began to realize that this hoped for place of respite wasn’t the result of a solitary effort. This magazine is the inn at the crossroads, and the words are those that you bring with you. Trivium Magazine is a place where you can share what moves and inspires you, what keeps you going on your journey. It is a place for lovers, who, overcome with love for The Word, cannot help but share words of their own.
All of history is a wondrous tale of love. In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son for us! From the very beginning we are called to be lovers, to enter into the mysterious love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. At God’s Word, out of infinite love, all of creation came into being. At His Words, we have been bound up in this story of love, this epic, adventurous romance.
And God saw that it was good. This world that we have been given is good. All of creation, including you and me are good. In His boundless love, God has given us all that we have. Our call is to receive His love, to be transformed by it, and to share it with others. Being made in God’s image means that we are made to love, and to share that love with others through words.
But it is not merely the words we speak to others that must be rooted in God’s love. Indeed, the words we remember from both our past and ages past as well as those words we ponder in our thoughts must be rooted in Him. To reclaim truth in this world of lies, we must dwell in and with the language of God. Inflamed with love for the Creator, our own creative voices yearn to carry forth notes of awe and praise into the dark places of the world, proclaiming God’s wondrous message.
And so, here at the crossroads, when the darkness of the modern age seems to fall around us, we do not lose hope and despair. Amateurs though we may be, we jot down humble phrases and paint simple brush strokes, unabashedly creating with love. While we know that the path ahead will be fraught with challenges, we find comfort in coming together to rest for a moment, to share the gifts we have been given, and to muse upon the mystery of God’s love.
It is our hope that Trivium Magazine may become a place where we can each participate in a joyful feast of sorts; some recalling stories of the past, some sharing humorous anecdotes, others giving rousing calls to action. Some of you may share in this gathering of hopeful festivity by contributing articles, reflections, or poetry, others by sharing beautiful pictures, paintings, or recipes. Yet still others participate in the feast by lending an attentive ear, subscribing to Trivium, and bringing beautiful words into your home. Whether through reading our writing, the words we share are little windows to each of our souls, slowly opening our eyes to the marvelous mystery of the other.
Though we find ourselves tossed and turned in a sea of chaos, where the noise of the modern world strives to drown all that is good, true, and beautiful, here we rejoice in sharing the truth of being made in God’s image and likeness. God is love, and so we are called to be lovers. We have been called to participate in the divine mystery of the Word made flesh. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We must now receive the Word, be transformed, and lift our hearts in exclamations of love.
