NEW YEAR, MARY MOTHER OF GOD, B
EXPLOSIVES, NOT FIRECRACKERS
New Year in the Philippines and other Asian
countries is not complete without firecrackers.
It is a tradition we inherited from our Chinese
influence; the noise and the crackle of firecrackers are meant to chase away
bad luck so that only good luck will remain.
Sadly for some, what remains after the firecrackers
are just a few fingers!
This New Year, God is not satisfied with
firecrackers, however loud or creative or complex they may be. God is preparing
explosives! No, not the type that terrorists
use.
God is preparing an explosion of blessings for you
this year! not just good luck, not
just random opportunities… but blessings that overflow and blessings that
remain forever.
Prepare for an explosion of blessings and open your
heart to the Lord who bestows these graces in your life.
Welcome the blessing of peace: the world at war
needs peace. Our country in poverty needs peace. Our divided families need
peace. Every troubled heart needs
it too. God is the source of our peace.
Welcome the blessing of love: we are flooded with
love at Christmas time, but if we honor the Lord, love will overflow the whole
year and will fill our lives with splashes of color we have never imagined
before.
Welcome the blessing of prosperity: to us who strive
to do our best and rely on the helping hand of the Lord, new chances, new
opportunities, new growth, new experiences of God’s providence and abundance.
Welcome the blessing of compassion: this is one gift
the Lord never runs out of; his mercy is from age to age to those who love him
and honor him. Pope Francis will come in a few days and his message from the
Lord will be this compassion and love we need to feel and to share.
Be ready for what God has prepared this year for
you! not firecrackers only, but
explosive blessings!