Following the Star

As I write this column, it is early January. For Christians, the Christmas season is almost over. A week or so after Christmas Day, we celebrate Epiphany when we recall the visit of the wise men or “magi” to baby Jesus. The feast of Epiphany is then followed by another week, more or less, of Christmas season, before we return to normal or “ordinary” time. At the Epiphany Masses, I preached on the visit of the magi to baby Jesus and his parents. I spoke how the journey of the magi was not all that different from the journey that we make through this life in preparation for the life to come. In order to arrive at their destination, the magi needed to have a goal, they had to overcome a number of obstacles over a long period of time and, as astrologers, they had to be attentive to stars in general, and to one star, in particular. That star led them to Jerusalem, but not to the exact location of the home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. To find the home of the Holy Family, the magi had to consult with Herod who had summoned the chief priests and scribes, the official representatives of the Jewish faith.

You can probably guess where I am going with this. Spouses who practice Natural Family Planning, like the magi, are in it for the long haul. Moreover, they have to be attentive to what nature is telling them about their fertility and themselves. To reach their destination, the magi focused on the position of a star. Like the magi, NFP couples focus on a goal. In the case of spouses that goal is helping each other to get to heaven. Fixing on the “Star” that lights their way, NFP couples realize that they have been given the amazing task of cooperating with their Creator in bringing children into the world. NFP helps spouses to beget children by providing the scientific knowledge about their fertility and opening them to the amazing and intricate way that their Creator made them to be co-creators.

But, science is not enough. Even the magi realized this. The wise men were able to go a long way towards reaching their goal, but in the end, they needed the direction of the chief priests and scribes to find the precise location of the Holy Family. Likewise, couples who practice NFP are able to benefit from science but they do better in reaching their goal when they consult with, and are supported by, others. In other words, their journey is made more fruitful when it is made with others: a parish, a synagogue community, a congregation, other NFP couples, a NFP practitioner, a physician and/or an association dedicated to promoting NFP. (Of course, I have to get in a plug for CANFP!)

On Sunday evening, after the Epiphany Masses, I spent some time with our youth group. After the usual pizza dinner and ice-breaker, our youth minister, Andreya Arevalo, who is also our parish FertilityCare Practitioner, presented to the youth a brief video on marriage featuring Jason Evert and then gave a brief overview of the human reproductive system and NFP. Appropriately, Andreya did not go into a ton of detail, but there was mention of some key words like “period”, “fallopian tubes” and “fimbria”. No doubt, most of the youth present had already heard some of this before in their health classes, or, preferably, from their parents. (Parents were informed that their children would be receiving this formation.) It was not the first time that the youth had heard of NFP, because Andreya had mentioned it at an early gathering. But it was probably the first time they had been given an overview of the what, why and how, albeit from 30,0000 feet. And, it’s a good thing that they were receiving it. Those of us involved in marriage preparation know that if someone is hearing about NFP for the first time six months before their wedding date, it is too late. Like many things, we need to hear about something several times before it really sinks in. Like the journey of the magi, the NFP journey is meant to be learned and lived over time and typically takes a number of twists and turns.

When the magi found the Christ Child, they presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. These were not very practical gifts for baby Jesus, but they represented the best that the magi had to give. God gives couples the amazing gift of cooperating with Him to bring new life into the world. NFP helps couples to give the best of themselves—their fertility, openness, attentiveness, selflessness, charity, patience, and, yes, sometimes their struggles and sufferings—-to God, their Creator and Redeemer. And that’s good for them and good for God.