NEW YEAR

Numbers 6:22-27; Ps 67 May God bless us in his mercy; Galatians 4:4-7;Luke 2:16-21

"God has sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts crying out, Abba, Father!"

As we enter into a new year bidding farewell to the year that has grown old, as we stand ready to embrace the challenges that are awaiting us in the unknown of tomorrow as we cross the threshold into a new beginning, the church gives us this as a word of encouragement: God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts.

Thus with this word of encouragement we might have confidence to enter into the future, a future in which we are promised an inheritance as St. Paul continues, "So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then also an heir…"

Though we cannot know the ways of the future, though they remain unknown and hidden there remains certainty in the midst of the uncertain: we are heirs.

Here is the ultimate substance of our future.

As Pope Benedict pointed out, "as heirs of God we will be masters of the universe."

Though we are not masters as such that might manipulate the future to our liking or our benefit but rather empowered to surrender to the unknown trusting in the all powerful God who will make a way for us as his adopted children.

This the example that Mary shows us so well as we celebrate the feast of Mary, the mother of God.   She becomes for us like a star that reflects the light of Christ to help illuminate for us the way as we enter upon this voyage we call life.

Here we begin our new year.  

As we embark on this new year, world day of peace, we seek to deepen our relationship with the prince of peace himself.  Invoking the Spirit to strengthen us daily that our life may ring out the peace Christ alone brings.  

We ask the Blessed Mother to guide us and we receive the very gift of peace of Christ in the Eucharist and thus these two pillars help bring us the stability we need on the seas of life.