Shine/King/Promise

Welcome to Word for the Week, the series in which I:

share my experience of hearing God’s Word in Mass last weekend,
explore what I believe the Lord is calling me to do about that Word, and
ask how this Word might impact your life, as well.

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This entry is going to be a progressive reflection. First, an overview of my Word for the Week from the last few Sundays:

-Shine like a star
-Rey (it means "king" in Spanish)
-"I will keep my promise"

And a confession: I started writing this entry in Ohio!

I was on day 8 of a 10-day music tour. I sat down to write from the lovely home of my host family in a suburb of Cleveland. But then I got distracted and didn't ever finish writing. So. I'm going to share an excerpt from my draft from three (!!) Sundays past, and then tie it into where I am at the start of Advent!

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Last Sunday, I attended Mass at Saints Simon and Jude in Brooklyn, New York. The word that stood out to me from Mass was from the first reading:

“But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever." -Daniel 3:12

So, by the time I made it to Cleveland, a song that I wrote in my early 20’s had been running through my head all week. The lyrics are:

You’ll glitter like a star when you know who you are
You’ll shine like the sun when his kingdom comes
Stand with dignity
You’re the daughter of the King

This week, the message has been clear and light-hearted, sort of like that song. That it’s good to stand tall, that it’s right to have confidence in who I am. And that dignity isn’t dependent on whether everyone else acknowledges or appreciates me.

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Let's jump ahead to the week after I went to Cleveland. I found myself in Los Angeles, California for a last-minute recording session with Estacion Cero, my favorite band from high school. I emphasize high school, not because I grew out of enjoying their music, but because my 16-yr-old self would be giddy!

After collaborations in the studio, we grabbed some tacos en route to the airport. As I sat at the table with the four bandmates, I felt the presence of the Lord distinctly.

My word for the week was "Rey" and I was in a taco place called "El Rey." It felt like the Lord was blessing me like only a King could, in ways that were unequivocally significant to my heart.

Then, over the past week, the word "I will keep my promises," resonated for me from Mass on the first Sunday of Advent.

I believe that the desires of my heart are a type of promise from the Lord. That those deep desires point me toward the good gifts that the King wishes to bestow.

Okay.

This entry hopefully spanned three weeks of Sunday Mass reflections. Although it feels quite hodgepodge, I'm going to send it off, this time! Hopefully, it'll serve as a glimpse into the way the Word of God reaches me from week to week.

By the way, is there a possibility that you are feeling a bit thrown-together in any aspect of life right now? If so, I'll invite you to reflect with me on a promise from this evening's Liturgy of the Hours:

"The one who calls you is faithful, and he will also accomplish it." -1 Thessalonians 5:24

Let's pray: What a relief to know that you are accomplishing your call in us, Lord! We thank you for your faithfulness and we praise you in advance for fulfilling your promises, our King and our Savior. Amen.

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Special thanks to VIP Patrons:

Dick Safranski
Jordan Mendez
Julian Padilla
Jessica Cook
Kate Hicks
Sara Chacon
Deacon Tim & Lily Roberto
Carrie Brzezinski
Frances Jones
Elizabeth Herberg

To become an Amanda Vernon Patron and receive a “New Song Every Sunday,” signup at amandavernon.com/patron.

Trust the Prophecies

Welcome to Word for the Week, the series in which I:

share my experience of hearing God’s Word in Mass last weekend,
explore what I believe the Lord is calling me to do about that Word, and
ask how this Word might impact your life, as well.

---

In Dallas, Texas, everything is bigger! The church where I had the pleasure to sing was massive. It was average, for Texas. The vestibule itself could fit a church building from the Midwest. The chapel in the back was the size of a regular worship space in New England. My word for the week was big, too, encompassing many ideas.

I was impressed. Mass was beautiful. I was working through some time-sensitive questions about ministry and communication, and the words that came up were of so much comfort. Here’s the last verse of the psalm:

Although they go forth weeping,
Carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
Carrying their sheaves.

Our response was, “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.”

When I returned from Dallas, I researched Psalm 126 on the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website. This description was shocking to me: “The last verses are probably an oracle of promise: the painful work of sowing will be crowned with life.” So, does that mean this description of people weeping and then coming back in song, didn’t actually happen?

But then I realized: no, that prophecy just hadn't happened yet.

After more reflection, I could see the beauty of this “oracle of promise.” Sometimes, God paints a picture for us, even before the blessings occur. As beautiful as the picture, or the oracle is, the fulfillment of the promise is all the better. The Lord seems to be asking me to trust the prophecies.

That means, I need to hang on to the prophetic words that have been spoken over my ministry and my life, as I discern the next steps. Those prophetic words will come to fruition. And they’ll be better than I could imagine. One confirmation of this conviction came last Sunday night, after my concert.

My host for the weekend (and an Amanda Vernon Patron!) Clarissa hosted some friends and me at her apartment. One of our mutual friends at the gathering recently moved to Dallas from a brief stint in Phoenix. This friend shared how a scripture verse that I texted her helped set the vision for her time in Phoenix. I had forgotten all about the text until she brought it up!

But sure enough, the Word of the Lord accomplishes its end! It reminds me of that story of Zechariah, the dad of John the Baptist. Do you remember how he went mute for months after he disbelieved the angel’s message about his unborn son? Have you ever felt this sense of disbelief as God’s promise unfolds before your eyes?

Maybe we need to be quiet sometimes to soak it in. Maybe it’s far better than we could put into words at first. May the Lord open our hearts to trust in the prophecies, even as they come true.

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Special thanks to VIP Patrons:

Dick Safranski
Jordan Mendez
Julian Padilla
Jessica Cook
Kate Hicks
Sara Chacon
Deacon Tim & Lily Roberto
Carrie Brzezinski
Frances Jones

To become an Amanda Vernon Patron and receive a “New Song Every Sunday,” signup at amandavernon.com/patron.