In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5
The beginning is the best place to start. Asking the Lord to bless us this New Year is an excellent way to start the New Year. What is your New Year’s resolution? At the start of this New Year 2023, I would like to suggest this wonderful opportunity to start again by chipping away sin and putting on Christ. As St. Paul tells us: “Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put-on love, that is, the bond of perfection” (Col 3:12-21).
Start Anew
Choose to start new again, be an optimist. Your 2022 may not be perfect. Many things may have happened in 2022 that you would rather forget. An optimist does not try to forget 2022; s/he tries to transform it. An optimist cannot change the past, but s/he can change the way the past affects him or her. An optimist chooses to be a victor, not a victim. S/he chooses to see his/her mess as a message. S/he chooses to see his/her setbacks as opportunities to make a grand comeback.
So, what will it be for you for 2023?
Put on Christ
You have the power to choose and put on Jesus Christ!
Every time (every hour and every day) I put on Christ the Lord comes back to earth! He does so through us.
“…to those who did accept him he gave them power to become children of God…And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth.”
Today we are on the eve of a new year. I invite all to do a healthy and rigorous examination of conscience, not to knock yourself down but to build your life up, through Him, with Him and in Him, which is the best Way to start.
Happy New Year to all you Gratia Vobis readers and benefactors!
Light the fire of Your love within me, Lord, that I may draw more people closer to You in the year to come.
REFLECTION QUESTION:
How did you live your life this year? Did you generously spread to your neighbors the love that Jesus filled you with? What changes are you going to make to become a better person this 2023?
