Happy new Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY READERS.

 

It is a start of a new year and with that can bring a whole range of emotions such as:

• relief that the previous year has gone, especially if it has been a difficult one
• hope: a looking forward to the unknown
• motivation: to set new year resolutions such as lose weight, get fit, stop smoking and the like.
• sadness: that the year that was is gone.

For us Catholics, we started our new liturgical year in Advent. Hopefully we made our spiritual resolutions. Perhaps we did and we have not yet got started. If that is the case, then the new calendar year is a great time to renew our spiritual goals especially whilst we are in the season of Christmas.

I like to think that God gives us Christians two chances to move into action as far as our spiritual goals are concerned.

 

This year, starting at Pentecost-to-Pentecost 2013, Pope Benedict has called for a year of Grace. Why not join me in preparing for our year of Grace starting today. Let us take an honest look at ourselves and work out our spiritual needs and goals so that we can make each day count.

Some suggestions include:

• Reviewing our practice of the sacraments- am I able to increase my attendance to daily mass or at least one extra mass during the week?
• Do I understand the fullness of the new translation of the Mass? You might like to research this carefully and/or follow my series about the new translation on my blog which I hope to write each week.
• How well do I engage in the sacrament of reconciliation?  What are the problems you experience with this sacrament and how might you grow in this sacrament?
• How well do I know my faith? What does my faith mean to me?  You might like to follow my compendium of the catholic church series and make it your own as you engage in the reflection questions?
• Understanding the scripture: why not take a book of the bible and come to understand it more fully. My series on my blog on Genesis may be starting point since it has 50 chapters or you might like to follow my new weekly series on the Gospel of St Mark.
• Do you have time in your week to spend time with Jesus in the blessed sacrament-why not find your nearest church/chapel that offers exposition and make a date with the Lord in your diary.
• Saying grace at meals with the family- if this practice has faded, why not get it started again.

There are of course many opportunities for grace in our lives.  Let us reach out and like Mary, treasure them and ponder them in our hearts. 

Let us start today and make each day a day of grace. Let it indeed be a happy New Year.