New Years Clebrations Invite Us to Begin Again, and Again, and Again

1/2/2013

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oneself, to others and to God. Sadly, many will not be kept. These words attributed to Mark Twain too often ring true "New Year's Day - now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual."

When I was a young man, I would write my New Years goal list first and then, in a fit of self generated enthusiasm, ask the Lord to bless it! I know better now. I need the light of the Holy Spirit to even comprehend what is needed if I ever hope to change. I now pray first and then, my list has become increasingly simple. Mary's Fiat has become my prayer, "be it done unto me according to your word."

I pray that in the Year of Our Lord, 2013, we may all find the fullness of grace which comes through a living relationship with the One who makes all things new (Rev 21:5), Jesus Christ. There is a universal longing in every human heart to be made new, to begin again, because the Holy Spirit prompts it in every human heart.

In and through Jesus Christ, there is a path to truly being made new. That promise is at the heart of the Gospel, the Good News! St. Paul reminded the Christians in the City of Corinth - and reminds every one of us- "whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come." (2 Cor. 5:17)

New Years Eve is a global existential moment, ripe with anticipation and expectations. It invites a spiritually cathartic time of reflection, offers us hope for change and invites us to make choices. In reality, our choices will make us. Let us choose in 2013 to live our lives in, with and for Jesus Christ. That is the waywe can turn resolutions into reality.

St Josemaria Escriva wrote: "For a son of God each day should be an opportunity for renewal, knowing for sure that with the help of grace he will reach the end of the road, which is Love. That is why if you begin and begin again, you are doing well. If you have a will to win, if you struggle, then with God's help you will conquer. There will be no difficulty you cannot overcome.' (St. Jose Maria Escriva, The Forge, 344)

Happy New Year!

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: New Year, Happy New Year, New Years Eve, conversion, born again, reborn, Deacon Keith Fournier

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1 - 3 of 3 Comments

Andrew M. Greenwell
4 months ago
Thank-you, Deacon, for this inspirational article. It was a marvelously written piece. Have a blessed New Year, and I pray for the continuing success of Catholic online.
Tom McGuire
4 months ago
My only resolution for 2013: Recognize the blessings and pray blessings for others.

Like the goodness of the five loaves and two fishes,
Which God divided among the five thousand men,
May the blessing of the King who so divided
Be upon our share of this common meal.
abey
4 months ago
To decrease in the Flesh is to increase in the Spirit, & vice versa which does show that the Flesh & Spirit are reciprocal to each other in this life to the words of Jesus 'My kingdom is not of this world " which is to say not of the flesh but of the Spirit which again is to His resurrected state in the Spiritual body, wherein the Spirit leads, for the Rock which is Christ is Spirit.

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