Happy New Year!

First Sunday/Week of Advent 2022 into 2023

Welcome to the beginning of the Liturgical Year, reading cycle A, year 1. Sundays on the Go by Fr Albert Haase arrived just in time for the First Sunday of Advent.

I finished Mysterion by Fr Harrison Ayer one Sunday afternoon just before the beginning of Mass and once again had that moment of disappointment from actually finishing a book I was enjoying and desiring more. This is a book I’ll read again.

Over on TerifiCreations I shared my 2023 Word of the Year, Tenacity. I realized I have, for years, followed the Liturgical Year in this exercise and this is quite delightful. I very nearly posted temerity as the #woty however I was saved from the brink of disaster by being prompted to go look in one of my text strings, though a friend did say temerity has merit and would fit too.

Cultivate has been a most delightful word of the year in that I “stole” it from a heart sister when she shared it. I did this partly because while we were waiting to go to Confession she shared with me the process of root combing, what it does for the plant, it frees the roots to grow in a new pot or place. In reflecting in the final weeks of the Liturgical year several things came to mind
– I’ve been physically transplanted in the process of two moves
– As a couple we’ve had to deal with some stuff in and through the last couple of years
– Developing relationships in the new place has been way different than
– working on a change in my prayer life is challenging and so sublimely beautiful
– Going to Confession and Spiritual Direction regularly – whew I gotta say this has been the hardest and grace-filled experience. In part because, with rare exception, I go to Confession with a heart friend (we don’t Confess at the same time, we go to the same Priest on the same day)
– I need to make some changes in my business and am thinking that through, seeking the Holy Spirit’s Inspiration and help from a good friend
– I’m learning to embrace my inner quirkiness and playfulness.
– I’m learning to distinguish the difference in responsibilities, letting go (this is a slow process) of things that are not mine.
– I’m incredibly grateful for all of our years in NY
– Getting healthy is a spiritual, mental, and physical process. Sometimes it takes getting healthier in one area to begin the process of becoming healthier in another area. I’d like to say this is “priorities” however this is more of a “what needs more attention first so the other can happen” thing leading to working on these in conjunction with one another. Balance come to mind here too and it is some of that and it’s some “plate spinning.”
– also the elliptical is hard y’all
– I’ve rediscovered my love of reading can I just say this is so sweet I can’t tell you.
– I’m ready to begin quilting again

While scrolling through twitter I read a Tweet saying “here’s my skills, here’s how I normally use them, here’s what’s happening now and while I’m grieving the not using them the way I’m normally using them I’m grateful to be using them this way. What this reminded me of is a fallow year. When farmers don’t plant a field for a year to give the field a chance to rest. This period of rest is necessary to not completely deplete the field. It’s a good thing. When I read this I had this deep aha! moment when I realized that this last couple of years is a time to be fallow, which is in some ways why the root combing analogy has stuck with me so deeply over this last year. Cultivating, then is more than I ever imagined and will continue with me for some time to come. And it will take Tenacity to continue doing the work.

Part of doing this work is Praying the Spiritual Exercises. My Spiritual Director assured me this would get harder and in light of Cultivate and Tenacity I think it wise to keep moving forward with this.

One final thing I’m reading Our Lady of Hot Messes and as happens with most books it’s a slow reading process and I’m enjoying it. Since I’ve heard Leticia speak so I hear a lot of this in her voice. When I reached the end of one of the chapters it occured to me that I could easily review the book, which I will do in a separate post. What I will say for now is this is well worth getting, reading, pondering. To have ANYONE be so honest about their Life without sugar coating it to make it more palatable is rare. Having her know so deeply who she is as a woman, mother, writer and most importantly her identity in God and in her Catholicity is deeply beautiful in all of the Hot Messness it is.

Jesus love you,

Teri