Loud, Hasty?!, Bountiful

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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On the third Sunday of Advent, I was at the end of my final tour of 2021, at a parish in Appleton, Wisconsin. And for the fourth Sunday of this liturgical season, I was back home in Arizona with David and our kids. The two passages that stood out to me from the final weeks of Advent were, respectively, "Shout with exultation” [Isaiah 12:6] and "Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste.” [Luke 1:39]

Both passages lifted my soul in humorous and timely ways. For instance, on the third week of Advent, there was a lot for me to shout about with exultation! Namely, I had a huge revelation about the past (wait for it) two decades. It dawned on me that 2022 will mark the 20-year anniversary of some very significant milestones for me.

Through my Word for the Week, I began to recall how significant the year 2002 was in my life! Overview:

-Diving into the Theology of the Body for the first time.
-Receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.
-Becoming friends with David Shaheen*.
-Meeting Matt Fase** for the first time.
-Beginning the practice of Eucharistic Adoration.
-Realizing my desire to do music ministry as my mission.
-Giving my first solo concert.
-Grandma Pauline’s passage into heaven; my first experience of significant loss.

What a pivotal year it was. When I realized that I'm coming up on the 20th anniversary, my heart was mystified with gratitude and joy. How those prayers and experiences shaped my life is too significant to express in this short post.

Suffice it to say, the Lord truly answers His promises! This Advent, God not only gave me the insight to savor His faithfulness but He also provided friends who both listened and rejoiced with me!

As the final week of Advent comes to a close, “with haste” is how I am going, like the description of Mary’s travels in Luke 1. For instance, this Word for the Week was first typed at warp speed on my smartphone, in between running errands. And now I’m finishing the final draft by the light of our Christmas tree. It’s 6:23am on Christmas Eve, and I’ve already been awake for hours!

I’ll leave you with a phrase I learned from Fr. Stan Fortuna, C.F.R., “Love came, Mary went.” Let’s ask the Lord together, “Come Holy Spirit. Show us how you’re calling us to set out today.”

P.S. One definition of "haste" is "swiftness of motion," and it definitely resonates with me right now!

*husband/hero
**priest/best friend

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