Every time the year is ending, we may find ourselves wondering how everything seemed to pass so quickly. So many things happened and in an instant, this year is already at its end. Perhaps, it is because as we get older, 365 days are a smaller percentage of our entire life. Or to put it more concretely, a year for a 10-year-old is different from someone who has already lived for 50 years.
Nevertheless, even if time moves quickly, the end of a year invites us to reflect. And, ask what we have done in this past year God has given us. To make it easier for us to reflect, I thought we might look on the ‘final word’ of this year.
Why?
Why the final word? History remembers many last words of the famous, and each has become a summary of their whole life. It could run from Julian the Apostates’ “You won, Nazorean”, a reflection of his life of persecuting Christians, or with the ‘Jesus, I love you’ of the well spent life of Benedict XVI, whose last years were spent in hidden prayer for the Church.
Compare this to the old year that is passing; there must be some ‘final words’ for this year, or whatever remains in our hearts as the year 2026 begins. It may be words of tiredness or regret, or dreams and aspirations, but then wouldn’t it be better if this year’s final words would be something that returns to the Lord?
Be Convinced
Think of the year 2025 that is passing. Let us be convinced that God has been present through everything. He sustained us at every moment of our existence and has taken very good care of us. He is with us in moments of joy and moments of challenges in our life, all of which “works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
May we also realize that His Son, Jesus Christ, has waited for us in the silence in the Blessed Sacrament, especially in the moments when we are preoccupied with ourselves alone. He wanted us to grow closer to him, and to use our life well so as to achieve our purpose of glorifying God and saving our souls.
And by the way, He is still giving us time. It is another great gift which we should be thankful for. We still have time to grow in holiness. We also remember those who in this year have passed on to eternity, especially Paul Verderber, whom I had the privilege of knowing last year, when I first started writing for Gratia Vobis Ministries. Even with sadness in his passing, we are reminded that our everyday must be our walk towards heaven, and Paul has gone ahead of us. For the new year, let us start thinking about heaven more often.
Think of Heaven
Time may continue to move quickly, but what matters is how we fill it. Let us use it well! When this coming year ends (with me hopefully writing another reflection), may we all look back to the time of which we grew in holiness; a year of constant ‘Jesus, I love you’, that it becomes the last words of the year 2026.
May the Blessed Mother teach us to treasure each day as a gift, to remain close to Christ, and to entrust the year ahead entirely to her maternal care. So that whatever awaits us, our final words may always rise as a simple and sincere prayer: Jesus, I love you.
