It is sadly difficult to look around the music industry and find true talent. I was very blessed to be able to witness and experience Harry Connick Jr in concert this week in Niagara Falls, Canada. I was given the chance to attend both of his performances and they truly commanded respect and succeeded in capturing the essence of music in pure artistic form. It seems that our worldly understanding of artistic talent often falls short in grasping the beautiful gift that has been given by God. It is tragic when those with talent fail to understand and recognize the immensity of their gift and what it can offer the world through it's pure form. The sharing of an individual gift and talent with the world can attribute to making Divine greatness present and visible.
Before attending his concert I had been rather unfamiliar with the immensity of his musical and performing abilities. As typical of our society, Harry too has often been portrayed and objectified as merely the "Cute guy on sitcoms and in movies", or "the handsome piano man". Regardless of the many fans that follow him as result of this, there is an element of Harry Connick Jr; the man and true gifted artist that might at times be overlooked. It is in fact through hearing his podcast interview on Busted Halo ( A Catholic online magazine) that I became more interested in Harry Connick Jr and truly gained more respect for him as a man of faith and family. Though he does not openly speak of the Lord on stage and in his music lyrics there is a loud voice speaking for the Lord through his music and through the way in which he carries himself on and off stage. Musically I have come to learn that Harry is among one of the greatest at what he does. After witnessing him in his element it is difficult for me to deny the Lord's hand upon his life and the reason for his worldly greatness and gift of song.
Blessed Pope John Paul II reminds us of this obligation to our gifts by encouraging us to "develop it in order to put it to service of our neighbour and the humanity as a whole." In this way we are truly sharing the greatness and glory of our Lord. Through surrendering our talents to Him, and by believing in ourselves , we can grow to embrace the "irrepeatable" gift that is given to us by God. It is by this surrender that we assist in making visible God's light and love for us to others. By nurturing our unique talents we offer something that no one else can duplicate. To be able to do this we must first recognize that we are "enough" and that we can truly succeed. We must believe that our gift is not only one to be shared, but one that must first be embraced and respected by us. A surrender to His gifts will draw us nearer to our Lord and truly aid us in becoming who God has called us to be.
Many of you have potentially seen the "fruits" of this surrender in your own lives or have been blessed by witnessing this in the lives of others. The degree of the successes may vary, but the undeniable truth and testament of using our gifts to glorify the Lord is truly the peace and joy that is brought forth. When one responds to their natural and God given gifts with a sense of faith, ownership, and obligation it will surely be fruitful. Arguably, fruitful does not always mean worldly fame, but it will definitely carry one to reach their fullest potential and capacity.
After seeing Harry Connick Jr in concert it is clearer to me that Harry embraced his vocation and continues to develop it. He has succeeded in reaching the heart and soul of many people through what he does. The secular world may fail to acknowledge this aspect of Harry Connick Jr , and yet, they can not deny the presence of his greatness. We as Catholics witness his gift and recognize the greatness to be the working of the Holy Spirit and can applaud Harry for answering his call from the Lord and for striving to live out the fullness of his vocation as an artist.
I was also gifted with the chance to meet Harry backstage after his event last night,along with my boyfriend and his family. Meeting Harry and hearing him speak to us personally only solidified the reality of his unbelievable humility, professionalism, integrity, and also his compassion. He is truly a man of depth and great respect. It was a blessing to shake the hand of one in Hollywood who remains so rooted in reality. May God continue to bless him always. Amen (C.C.)
http://bustedhalo.com/podcasts/interview-harry-connick-jr - Busted Halo- with Harry Connick Jr.
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