Trust the Prophecies
With friends in Dallas!
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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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
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