Maybe in the Future 🍎

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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Last Sunday, our 11-yr-old son joined me for Mass. I was giving a parish mission at a local parish, so it was awesome to have his help after each Mass. The word that stood out to me was from the Gospel of Luke. The context was a tree that wasn’t producing to the liking of the orchard owner.

The owner visited his orchard and told the gardener to cut down the barren tree. But the gardener, who had the expertise in growing plants, advised against it. He asked for another year, in which he would “cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it,” and—here’s my word for the week—

“…it may bear fruit in the future.”

This week, I have felt called to let things rest. I’m thinking of a particular, close friendship where I took a step back on communication for several days. And also of my desire to become super-invested in our local community. And, furthermore, of a series of health exams that I’m currently taking for the future.

The list goes on, of the things that seem unresolved and uncomfortable for me this week. Overall, I’m reminded that A) it’s not my natural disposition to see projects through to the end! And B) I’m also prone to give up entirely on specific relationships, based on my personality.

The fact that the Lord has called me to this season of relative calm, is very contrary to my natural sensibilities. But this Word for the Week is helping me to rejoice in the wisdom of the Lord. He knows what He is doing! I trust Him to work through the “boring” or mundane or seemingly unfruitful happenings of life, which I would naturally avoid!, to bring about His will.

Through the Word of God, I’ve been able to rejoice this week in reflecting on the past. There have definitely been seasons where I felt like nothing was happening. And yet, I can look back to see the fruit that God was cultivating. In other words, He is the patient gardener. And I want to cooperate with how he is tilling the soil and fertilizing it.

Does that mean there is necessarily…poop, all around?! So we praise the Lord for the manure, too?

In your life, is there any “fertilizer” that is stinking things up, yet causing you to grow stronger and more healthy?

Pray with me? (This is a bit sassy one, but it’s in line with the gospel!)

Dear Jesus, thank you for your patience and for your wisdom. Thank you for how you prepare our environment to best aid in our growth and in our future fruitfulness. Thank you for the times that really stink, too, because we trust you are working even the “fertilizer” out for our good. Amen.

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Special thanks to VIP Patrons:

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

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

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.

When the Word Is "Irritating"

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.

---

Two Sundays back, I attended Mass in Green Bay, Wisconsin! There was an accordion player in the choir, people were excited to talk about the Packers after Mass, and excitement to soak up the final warm days of 2021 was palpable! The word that stood out to me seemed both quirky and a bit foreboding: “irritating.”

That was a first!

When I’m researching the verse now, I’m finding two different versions of Wisdom 2:12:

a. “The wicked say: Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us”
b. “...Let us lie in wait for the righteous one, because he is annoying to us”

Annoying, obnoxious, irritating. Same difference? Thankfully, my spiritual director taught me to ask the question, “How does this word speak positively to my life?”

As I traveled across the Midwest last week (Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio!)—the Holy Spirit prompted me to speak very openly, honestly, and perhaps irritatingly to some on the receiving end of my words. I not only needed to work through challenging conversations in ministry, but I felt responsible to share about it with those who follow me on social media.

Even now, as I sit down to write this reflection in the airport, I just received a note on Facebook from a concerned acquaintance. She asked me to “please pray about whether to leave that up,” regarding my very open sharing on social media. One of the beautiful and challenging parts of trying to live by God’s word, is that sometimes it will not be pleasant.

So, yes, I am praying. And even still, I believe the Spirit lead me to share a glimpse into the annoying/obnoxious/irritating parts of life as a missionary. In a nutshell: it was a difficult week. I wasn’t feeling my best, emotionally or physically. I traveled many miles alone. There were disheartening happenings on the ministry front, particularly with Fr. Matt Fase and our work with his community. However.

The Word of the Lord is alive! The Word of the Lord is good news. And I believe that even when our response to the Spirit is irritating to other people, we can trust God to bring His word to fruition in us.

So, I'll end with a prayer of both uncertainty in my own actions and trust in God's Providence. Because maybe I'm wrong! Maybe I'm being irritating all on my own, rather than because I'm following God's prompting. I'll leave it all in God's hands with this prayer by Thomas Merton:

"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."

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

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