A favorite song evokes thoughts of a beach in Brazil, a promise and God’s love

Brie Anne Varick shares her gift as a singer by performing a song that is close to her heart, “Taste and See.” (Photo by John Shaughnessy)

(Editor’s note: The Criterion has invited you, our readers, to share a song that has led you into a deeper level of faith, humanity or love. Here is one of the songs—and why it is special—that has been shared so far.)

One in an occasional series
 

By John Shaughnessy

As Brie Anne Varick talks about her favorite song, she’s once again transported to a beach in Brazil, soon followed by a memorable experience among three million people in Poland.

Thoughts of the song also lead her back to a life-changing promise she made in Indianapolis.

And all three experiences reflect what Varick views as “God moments”—those times when she believes God is speaking to her.

The three experiences are connected to the song, “Taste and See.”

“I’m a singer,” says Varick, who is also director of the archdiocese’s Office of Human Life and Dignity. “It’s just a really pretty song, and vocally it’s fun to sing. And in my devotion to the Eucharist, the lyrics, ‘taste and see the goodness of the Lord,’ really make sense to me. Because God gives us himself physically in the bread, and he wants you to literally taste him in his goodness, that he is goodness.”

Her eyes shine as she adds, “There have also been a few moments when God knew I really liked the song. And so, he used it to speak to me.”

One moment occurred on a beach in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil during World Youth Day in 2013, when young people from around the world joined with Pope Francis during his first international trip.

“It was during the opening Mass,” she recalls. “You’re with hundreds of thousands of people, and they kind of warn you that you may not get Communion. We were with Father Jonathan Meyer and Father Eric Augenstein. Father Meyer told our group, ‘I’m going to get you Communion.’ He led the way, and everyone was holding hands, and somehow, we got it. It was kind of a miracle.”

An even more powerful moment occurred three years later. In 2016, she was deep in the heart of an estimated 3 million young people in Poland, taking part in a Mass at another World Youth Day with Pope Francis.

“I was prepared again—‘There’s too many people here, we might not get Communion, but that’s OK. I know he’s here, and he will come to me, even spiritually,’ ” she recalls as her voice begins to rise in excitement.

“The song ‘Taste and See’ is playing. And all of a sudden, the Communion minister comes up to our section, and not just right up to our section, but right next to me, standing next to me! All I had to do was stand up to receive Communion. I remember telling Christ, ‘You came to me this time. I didn’t have to fight for you. I didn’t have to seek you out. You came and found me.’ ”

She pauses before adding, “I feel like that was a breakthrough moment in my spiritual journey—of God showing me, ‘I’m going to provide for you. I’m going to take care of you.’ After I received Communion, I felt a great desire to bow down in adoration and touch the ground. It was a very holy moment for me. And it was important to engage all my senses—to touch, to taste, to see and to know that God is good.”

A song of the heart

“Taste and See” is so important to her that she chose it as the Communion song during her wedding Mass to her husband Mike on July 14, 2018, at St. Joan of Arc Church in Indianapolis.

“When that song played, I was brought again to the awareness that God was with me,” she says.

Varick also views that song as capturing God’s desire to touch our lives physically as well as spiritually.

“I have a love for teaching ‘Theology of the Body’ and how important our physical reality is, that our bodies mean something. God is communicating who he is and who we are through our bodies as well.”

She sees that bond intimately in the way that God offers couples in marriage the gift of creating new life.

“And now I’m on our fourth child,” she says with a smile as she holds her 4-month-old daughter, Melanie, the little sister of Rose, 7, Henry, 5, and Max, 2.

Varick sees the power of the Eucharist to bless our lives too.

“The Eucharist is so important in the Catholic faith, because you may not know God spiritually, and you might have a really dry prayer life, and you might not be able to feel him or know him, but if we physically show up to Mass, he comes to us. We just have to show up, to be there, and we can taste him and know that he is good.

“It’s just beautiful.”

To hear Brie Anne Varick sing “Taste and See,” go to tinyurl.com/BrieAnneSong
 

(Whether it’s a song from popular culture or from a church hymnal, you are invited to share your story of how that song has led you to a deeper level of faith, humanity or love. Please send your story and song(s) to John Shaughnessy at jshaughnessy@archindy.org or by mail in care of The Criterion, 1400 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46202. Please include your parish and a daytime phone number where you can be reached.) †