A hard time we had of it.
At the end, we preferred to travel all night.
The first line echoes the harshness of the journey the Magi endured. With no rooms, dirty cities, and unfriendly villagers, the entourage decided to travel at night. The “night” in Eliot’s poem is both figurative and literal. At this point in the journey, they had no idea how much longer they would travel. Traveling at night not only shortens the trip but keeps them out of the heat of the daylight sun. In this second-to-last line of Stanza One, we can easily identify with the moods of the Magi; they are discouraged.
TS Eliot wrote in his poem, “Ash Wednesday”—his first published work since his conversion—”Because I do not hope to live again, because I do not hope, because I do not hope to live.” Eliot was turning away from his previous view of the world as a wasteland and seeking, as the Magi did, something worth living for.
During my many years as a spousal caregiver, I could have recited this line every day: I had a hard time of it. But like the Magi, I followed something other than my own desires.
Reflection:
As hard as the dark nights of the soul can be, all suffering has a purpose. Romans 5:3-5 says, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know they help us to develop our endurance.”
How have your own trials strengthened your faith and prepared you for the rest of your journey?
