Women of faith for a Friday

Nothing exceeds like excess, or so it has been said. Since my break in June, I've been quite prolific. To is the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalen is the patroness of the Diocese of Salt Lake City. I am glad Pope Francis elevated her feast to a Universal Feast. Even though I am no longer assigned to the Cathedral of the Madeleine, I still observe today as a Solemnity. Since it's Friday...

Speaking of women of faith, it was announced this week that Amy Grant will be a Kennedy Center Honoree. She is the first Contemporary Christian music artist to been chosen for this honor, which is given to five people annually. This is the 45th year Kennedy Center honors have been bestowed.

I have been listening to Amy Grant since the late '80s. I remember buying her Straight Ahead and Lead Me On albums on cassette upon their release. There are way too many of Amy's songs I could post as our traditio for this Friday. I'm going with one, "Where Do You Hide Your Heart?", that mean a lot to me. It means a lot because, like most songs we tend to love, it speaks into and seemingly out of my experience.

O God,
whose Only Begotten Son
entrusted Mary Magdalene before all others
with announcing the great joy of the Resurrection,
grant, we pray, that through her intercession
and example we may proclaim the living Christ
and come to see him reigning in your glory

Saint Mary Magdalene, myrophore & apostula apostulorum, on this your feast day, pray for us!