There are songs that are not only listened to: they are recognized inside.
“The Audacity of the Heart”, by the RUAH group, was born on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Daughters of Jesus, but it continues to speak today with a very current force. Because we all know moments of fragility, uncertainty or uphill roads. And yet, we also know that profound intuition that remains: God continues to sustain life.
The song puts music to the experience of St. Candida Maria of Jesus: a simple woman who, from the small and hidden, dared to trust. A trust that was not born from having everything clear, but from listening to a Word stronger than fear.
"In the audacity of the heart you are..."
Perhaps this is also our call today: to continue walking, even when everything trembles; to continue believing that in smallness something immense can germinate; to continue building community based on diversity, shared gifts and the common desire to be a channel of Life.
Give yourself some time to let yourself be questioned by the song.
Listen and watch the video of the entire song. Identify a phrase that “finds you”, that speaks to your heart…
If you want to download the lyrics, you can find them here
- underline a phrase that gives you peace;
- surrounds a sentence that questions you;
- mark with a symbol a sentence that you would like to believe more deeply.
Listen to it again and watch the video, and now let these questions help you “grow in boldness of heart:
From your vital moment
- What part of the lyrics do I feel closest to my current moment?
- What “fragility” or limit do I have trouble accepting today?
- Where do I experience that “in the small” there can also be life, beauty or calling?
- What dreams or longings do I feel growing inside me?
- What does it mean for me to trust when “everything trembles”?
- What things really sustain my life today?
- Have I ever had an experience where I felt that I had to go ahead, even though I was not clear about everything?
With God, heart to heart
- How do I imagine that “Word” that speaks in the hidden?
- What people have been a light or support for me in difficult times?
- What deep calling do I feel in my life today?
- What prevents me from responding more freely or boldly?
- Where do I believe God may be quietly at work in me?
Together, with others, in community
- What does it mean for me to walk with others?
- What richness do I discover in the diversity of people, stories and sensibilities?
- Which Church do I dream and wish to build?
- What can I contribute, with my own voice and story?
A final question
What step would you take in your life if boldness was not to be fearless... but to keep walking with confidence?
Thanks to RUAH for giving this song to the Mother Candida family and for reminding us that trust in God does not fade away.
