It was a year of sadness. But it was also a year when Mary spoke to me in a most unlikely way – through a pop song of the 1970’s.
First the sadness. I felt stuck in my old job. I had been a general manager for a division of a large steel company for twenty years. During most of that time, I enjoyed the challenges of managing a cyclical business and found plenty of new ideas to pursue to make things better. Then I hit a point where I felt nothing – no drive, no initiative, and nothing to look forward to. The commute was almost painful as I settled into the hopelessness of my present situation.
At the same time, I was practicing my Spanish in various ways including singing songs. One song I had memorized was “Chiquitita” by Abba. On one morning walk, I decided to first say the Angelus before launching into song.
As I was singing, I started paying attention to the lyrics. I had memorized the words in Spanish but focused on the pronunciation and the tune. I had not mentally done the translating.
As I listened to the meaning of the words I realized with a shock that Mary was singing to me. Chiquitita is a term of endearment for a little one. It’s feminine, but I was ok with the gender mismatch, and I feel like her dear little one.
The entire song spoke to me, identifying my sadness and offering tremendous hope. Here is a sampling:
Chiquitita, tell me what’s wrong
You’re enchained by your own sorrow
In your eyes there is no hope for tomorrow…
Chiquitita, you and I know
You’ll be dancing once again and the pain will end
You would have no time for grievin’
Stirred by the promises contained in the song, I laid claim to those promises with another prayer, The Memorare. “Never was it known that anyone… who implored your help was left unaided.”
After this mystical encounter with a 70’s pop song and the assurances Mary provided, God opened the pathway for me to leave the world of heavy industry and go to where my spiritual gifts would flourish for the next six years at the Catholic Conference Center.
I’ve since paid more attention to the lyrics of the songs that randomly appear in my thoughts. They might just contain a dual message.
Might the Lord or one of His saints be speaking to you in one of the songs that run through your mind?