GOD BLESS THE NEW YEAR
It made me so happy watching kids making their rounds to their relatives and godparents for Christmas greetings – all attired in their new clothes! It reminded me of my own childhood experiences.
We have a tradition of wearing our new clothes on Christmas day. But we also have another tradition when we acquire something new. Our parents tell us: wear your new shoes to church, bring your new bag to church, use your new watch to Sunday Mass. Why? Obviously, to thank the Lord!
But there’s something else we intend to do. We want to ask God’s blessings on that which is new in our lives. With God’s blessing, we feel more secure, at peace and grateful.
Today there is something new we bring to the altar of God. And it’s not just a thing to possess. We have a New Year – a new moment, a new opportunity, new life. And we are here, of all places, to ask God to bless it, as he has blessed many of our new years in the past.
Do you want to be blessed?
Great, because God the Father wants to touch you with his blessings today. The first reading from the book of Numbers directs our attention to God the Father, who invokes his blessings on our lives. Close your eyes for a moment and receive what the Father bestows on you: “The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!
Jesus, God the Son, wants to bless you today as well. The gospel tells us how Jesus became a blessing to Mary and Joseph and to the shepherds who witnessed his glory. The coming of Jesus is God’s greatest gift because now, the unseen God is God-with-us. The God the Israelites cannot mention by name, now has a name – Jesus - and a human body like us. In the OT, God forbid the making of images to obviate the practice of idolatry. Now, God provides us with his own image, in His Only Son. Touch your seatmate’s shoulder and through Jesus bless this person: in the name of Jesus, receive healing, peace of mind, abundance and joy.
The Holy Spirit, the Third Person in God, wants to bless you. The second reading reminds us that God sent his Spirit into our hearts, so we can be free again, not slaves anymore but children of God. This year we need his inspiration, guidance and presence to lead a righteous path. Let us invite the Spirit to enter our hearts: Come Holy Spirit I need you!
The Virgin Mary is the model of one truly blessed because she opened her heart to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And then she blessed others by her love and service. In this Eucharist, be full of God’s blessings. This whole year, be God’s blessing to others!
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