Over the years my appreciation for the beauty of the liturgical year has increased along with my understanding. This weekend I was contemplating how as we transition from the end of one liturgical year to the beginning of another we go from recognizing Christ as our king to focusing on Mary’s fiat.
Our own lives follow a similar pattern. As we invest in knowing God better through prayer, scripture, spiritual reading or resources, and the lives of other people, we have the opportunity to more fully acknowledge Christ the King. The natural response of this increased understanding is a desire to use our free will to cooperate with His will for our lives, and Mary provides inspiration for how to do so.
While the liturgical calendar frames our year, meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary throughout the year provides opportunities to cycle through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ again and again, helping the bigger picture of the rhythms of the liturgical year to take root in our hearts. That in turn can help us to reflect and set intentions in different seasons of the year.
One practice that has supported my journey of growth through the liturgical years is choosing a Word for the Liturgical Year. In 2010 I began the practice of selecting a word for the calendar year, but as the years progressed and I became more aware of the spiritual growth connection I wanted the practice to be aligned to the liturgical calendar. Looking back over the years, I can see how the ending of one year naturally flowed into the other – complementary words nurturing growth over time.
In a future post, I will share more background on the words selected each year and how they have built over time to prompt gradual growth; however, below is a quick glimpse into the words that have shaped the last 11 years.
- Simplicity (2010)
- Embrace (2011)
- Gratitude (2012)
- Nurture (2013)
- Salud (Health in Spanish) (2014)
- Core (2015)
- Shine (2016)
- Filled (2017)
- Home (2018)
- Light (2019)
- Adventure (2020)
I am excited to transition into a new liturgical year, guided by the word deep. Throughout the year I will be taking the following question to prayer, “Jesus, how do you want me to go deep?” as I ponder intentions for days, weeks or liturgical seasons. Asking the question demonstrates a trust in God, linking back to viewing Him as my Lord, and acting to align my life to what I discern over time without knowing fully how everything will unfold points back to Mary’s fiat and fidelity step by step.
Questions for Reflection:
- What have you learned about Jesus during this last liturgical year that has supported you to better know Him, and as a result acknowledge his role as King?
- What fiat is He inviting you to this year?
- Is there a word that might support your on-going growth this liturgical year?
Copyright 2020 Amanda Villagómez // Photo by Ben Marshall on Freely
