Welcome to the season 16 kickoff with our annual tradition of the Word of the Year episode! Each year, we ask God to give us a theme to focus on for the new year and invite you to do the same. After personal prayer and reflection, we share what our words for 2025 mean to us and chat about the Saints journeying with us this year. We are excited to be back and look forward to seeing what this season will bring.

Heather's One Thing - This Strange Land Podcast

Sister Miriam's One Thing - Jubilee Year podcast episode from the Poco a Poco Podcast

Michelle's One Thing - Notre Dame Football and Marcus Freeman and time with Heather and Sister at the 2025 SEEK Conference in DC

Other Resources Mentioned:

Word of the Year video from Blessed is She
Beautiful Holiness Beautiful Holiness: A Spiritual Journey With Blessed Conchita to the Heart of Jesus by Kathleen Beckman
Under the Gaze of the Father by Archbishop Martinez (A retreat written for Blessed Conchita)

Journal Questions:

If you've been selecting a word of the year for a few years now, reflect on how the words have built on each other over time.
Through what golden lens does God want me to see my year?
How can I approach this new year with a spirit of integration rather than novelty?
In what circumstances of your life do you feel like God isn't showing up?

Discussion Questions:

How did you experience your word for 2024?
What is the Lord doing for you this year?
How is the Lord inviting you to greater faithfulness in 2025?
Do you feel like any particular saints have been chosen to journey with you this year?
What is your word for 2025?

Quote to Ponder:

"The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year, but rather that we should have a new soul." (G.K. Chesterton)

Scripture for Lectio:

"And a word spoken in due season, how good it is." (Proverbs 15:23)

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Timestamps:

00:00 - Rooted for Good

01:31 - Intro

02:23 - Welcome

04:01 - Guiding Quote and Scripture Verse

04:34 - What is a Word of the Year?

08:24 - Michelle's Word(s)

14:10 - Heather's Word

24:10 - Sister's Word

32:15 - One Things

S16 E1 - Word of the Year