This couple, too, had their parents bring up the gifts during the Offertory and they were allowed to use the responsorial psalm that I had so badly wanted to use (This is the Day which is also my niece's favorite Kim Kalman song). Since we weren't able to use that during the nuptial mass as I had hoped, we opted to have Kim Kalman sing it just before the mass started....however, those of us in the wedding party couldn't hear any of it due to being behind closed doors in the narthex. At least Adam could hear it from where he and Fr. Jack were waiting and of course our lovely guests. Kim also sang another favorite song called, "I Will Follow", just before "This is the Day" that we couldn't hear but hopefully the guests within the church enjoyed the beautiful music and lyrics.
Anyhow back to last night and seeing the beautiful and my favorite church of all time made me feel like I was there at the wedding and was a nice way to end the day amidst all the political changes that dotted the landscape. Yesterday was also the feast day of St. Josemaria Escriva who is credited with the saying below:
After watching the wedding, I clicked on the podcasts that the church has available on the website and listened to a couple talks before bed. One was called, "In Your Head", and emphasized the importance of being mindful about what you do, watch, hear, and with whom you associate because it all matters. If it's not bringing you closer to God then it's acting as an obstacle much like what St. Josemaria Escriva says. We are made for community and naturally, want to be with others. In some social circles this can explain why some people may fall into the wrong type of crowd even if he or she knows that what the gang is doing is wrong, he or she may do it anyway because of the desire to fit in or blend in with the crowd. However, what good is following the crowd if it's not leading you to happiness or holiness? If you can't be your true and authentic self with others why do you want to spend time with those folks? If you fear ridicule or embarrassment over what they may think then are they really truly your friends? Do these people build others up or do they talk about others behind their backs but act like friends in the presence of those same people they were mocking? Yes, it's lonely to break away from that type of social situation. Yes, it's easy to fall into complacency and not rock the boat. However, deep down inside, if you can't completely trust the so-called friends or be your self in the process then that is not of God and is not leading you to achieving self actualization. We should surround ourselves with others who are also reaching toward the same ideals and standards. We should associate with those who will hold you accountable in being all you can be. This does not mean we shouldn't be friends with those who believe differently from what we believe or who hold opposing views. Far from it! Some of the nicest and closest friends I have had came from completely opposite ends of the spectrum. As long as there is respect on both sides of the friendship and growth can occur then have at it! I am not at all advocating for carbon copy friendships in that one must only associate with one type of individual. This can be a common misassumption made by others though. We, as people, were designed for so much more and have so much potential. Aim for that rather than just doing what everyone else is doing to fit in...which goes directly counter cultural to today's way of thinking & living. I promise you it is worth the loneliness and heart break, worth the pain of losing who you thought were close friends, and will be tremendously hard to try to stick to your principles. People may make false assumptions about you, may choose to not associate with you anymore, and may ridicule you but honestly, it's not about the here and now. We should all be striving toward the final destination of Heaven and trying to live out our calling in the most authentic means possible. I would rather be with this man of God I'm blessed to call husband and have solid friendships with those who will help me to grow closer to God than to have ten superficial friends. Perhaps this will be the day you will make more conscientious decisions to surround yourself with those who truly support you in good times and bad?? I saw this image the other day and couldn't agree with it more in this moment. What a relief it is to know that we won't be overcome; we just need to put our faith and trust in God!
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