The Legacy of Olivia Newton-John Lives On in You & Me
God bless Olivia Newton-John!
Her legacy inspires me and delivers such a powerful message to me personally: “Don’t stop believing! Be not afraid! Evangelize!”
In the wake of her recent death, please allow me to share a special memory about this Australian legend, and then extend a special invitation to you from me.
“Olivia Newton-John”. I heard it plain as day, as if someone was reading her name out loud for the first time at a graduation ceremony.
Then I opened my eyes. Was it a dream? I heard her name so very clearly. I just stayed in bed for a minute or two just startled and bewildered with what I heard.
When I finally got up, I raced to my computer to see if something happened to her. As a long-time fan and follower, I knew that she had stage four cancer.
Her posts were connected to my feed on Facebook, but all I found was her big smile still glowing back at me. Then a feeling came over me that I needed to pray for her.
I’d actually mustered up the nerve to sing the chorus of Olivia’s song, “Don’t Stop Believing” at a retreat a few years back, pre-COVID.
Olivia seemed to always have only the most hopeful things to say in spite of her struggles. For me, she was a symbol of hope and courage.
Cindy took this photo while in Sydney Australia, March 21, 2013. It is the geographical place where the Paramatta River meets the Tasman Sea, where she plans to be on Dec. 12, 2022.
Later that morning, February 24, 2021, I received a text from a friend. It read: “Watch ‘Parish Mission: 60 MINUTES FOR JESUS (Night One)’” on YouTube.
It was posted by Prince of Peace Catholic Community in Plano, Texas. When I saw that the video was a little over an hour, I figured that I’d have to wait for a window of opportunity to take it in.
The next day, I got up in the early morning with the intent to watch the whole thing all in one sitting. There, in that video, I found special guest, papal missionary, Fr. Jim Sichko, telling a powerful tale about his personal encounter with Olivia Newton-John enroute to Australia.
The Olivia Newton-John not only attended each Mass and prayed before the Holy Sacrament at his mission that weekend, but ended up joining him over Zoom for RCIA!
Needlessly to say, I just flipped my lid!
Father Jim’s message: We need to get back to Church and evangelize. He criticized that too many of us are still watching Mass online.
“We have to return without fear…we have to go and face Christ crucified,” Father Jim charged.
And may I emphasize, that this was a mission that took place last year. Father Jim was summoning us back to “where the river meets the sea”.
I heard it from Father Steve, CEO of the Word on Fire Ministries during the time that all of us were on lockdown in 2020, that the place where the river meets the sea is the Church and is specifically spelled out in Ezekiel 47: 8-12, with a strong mystical connection to standing at the foot of the cross to witness Christ crucified.
“He said to me, “This water flows out into the eastern district, runs down into the Arabah and empties into the polluted waters of the sea* to freshen them.
Wherever it flows, the river teems with every kind of living creature; fish will abound. Where these waters flow they refresh; everything lives where the river goes.
Fishermen will stand along its shore, from En-gedi to En-eglaim it will become a place for drying nets, and it will abound with as many kinds of fish as the Great Sea.
Its marshes and swamps shall not be made fresh, but will be left for salt.
Along each bank of the river every kind of fruit tree will grow; their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fresh fruit because the waters of the river flow out from the sanctuary. Their fruit is used for food, and their leaves for healing.”
Yes. We must return to Church. We must evangelize. We have to return without fear…we have to go and face Christ crucified.
For me, given that I have been prepared at Prince of Peace Catholic Community in Houston, TX, for evangelization, I must return to where the river meets the sea in Sydney, Australia both literally and figuratively as the Paramatta River flows into Darling Harbour before pouring into the Tasman Sea. This place is of great spiritual significance to me as recorded in all of my tales of my travels in the land Down Under.
The Lord has a plan. I haven’t a clue what’s in store while there. What I do know is that the journey ahead both exhilarates and terrifies me.
I’ve never felt so very challenged and yet so eager to step up and do what must be done, whatever that means.
Another photo of Sydney Australia, March 21, 2013, taken by Cindy.
The only thing I know I need to do is just show up and let the Lord do the rest.
I have purchased my ticket, so I have a sense of when this might actually happen. I mean, things could change. It’s not in my power to really decide.
At present, I am guided by the Holy Spirit and Our Lady of Guadalupe, Star of the New Evangelization. I believe that I will be where the river meets the sea to celebrate her feast day on Dec. 12, 2022. Only the Lord knows for sure.
In the meantime, I do have many exciting happenings on my calendar leading up to that time. I will work to capture as much as I can on video and in pictures to share what God is doing with my life and the lives of other LOVING STONES.
I invite you to join me to all the places where the river meets the sea in hopes that you too will draw closer to the Lord.
Maybe, you too feel called to evangelize. Know that the LOVING STONES of CHRIST are praying and planning for offering advanced training and preparation to be sent – to be lay apostles of Christ!
Stay tuned. Like our YouTube channel at LOVING STONES of Christ: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZSHsUVrPo-V0v3c9VKTJUw to receive the vlog entries that other members of our LOVING STONES team and I will post this fall.
“Vale”, Olivia! I will miss you but know that your star will be among the brightest in the night sky.
About Cindy Kolak:
Cynthia Cardenas-Kolak is a lifelong learner, teacher, independent scholar, and author who has trained other trainers, teachers, and administrators on best instructional practices for diverse learners. She has been a member of Prince of Peace Catholic Community for seven years and resides in northwest Houston with her husband and son. As an active participant in her parish, she has served in multiple roles including pastoral care volunteer, funeral coordinator, small group facilitator of book studies with Catholic WE and the parish at large, LOVING STONES, and has a strong calling to the New Evangelization.
Favorite Scriptures: “Give thanks to the Lord on the harp; on the ten-stringed lyre offer praise. Sing to him a new song; skillfully play with joyous chant.” (Ps 33:3)
“Call to me, and I will answer you; I will tell you things beyond the reach of your knowledge.” (Jer 33:3)
