May the Lord bless you and keep you! May he let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! And may you find peace in your hearts! ...
May the Lord bless you and keep you! May he let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! And may you find peace in your hearts! Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and at the same time, is the way we start our year with a blessing from above. It is but fitting to start the year thanking the Lord for the new beginning and the graces to be received in the coming days and months of 2017.
In today’s reflection, let us focus on four points that we can grasp from the readings of today: HURRY, KEEP, INVOKE, BLESS.
HURRY, GO IN HASTE. The shepherd didn’t waste their time to go and rush towards where the baby boy is to be found. When they were told to go, they went. And so, they found Mary and Joseph and the infant in the manger.
Most of us have had plans for the 2017. If it’s important. If you planned to change your ways, do it and start it now. Hurry. This year, it is good to start it right. If we have important things to do, don’t waste time. Do it immediately. And for sure, you will find a blessing for doing that.
The second point is to KEEP. We were told too by the Gospel that Mary kept all that which the shepherds said in her heart. Mary kept all the blessings that were said by the people whom she met. She was keeping blessings and wonders in her mind and heart. And most specially, she kept the blessing of all blessings in her womb, that makes her worthy to be called: The Mother of God. She kept that one precious child, that turned each one of us from being slaves into son, giving us the same right to inherit the Kingdom of God. Her motherhood to Jesus was a blessing not only for her but also for all of us.
Like Mary, we should be keeping good things, precious things in our hearts and minds. We should not keep hurts and grudges of 2016 in our hearts. For how can you be a blessing to others if what your heart and mind carries are hurts, grudges, burdens, and hatred. It will not only hinder blessings to others, it will hinder blessings to come into your life. I will assure you that. Try to keep vengeance and hatred in your mind and heart, you will surely live an unhappy life. You want to be happy this 2017? Keep good things and blessings in your mind and heart.
The third point is INVOKE. The instructions that was given by God to Moses was: "So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them." God promised that whenever his name is invoked to give a blessing, if it’s God’s will, the blessing will arrive. God had been doing this since time immemorial. It is but fitting to glorify him and praise him with all our might.
Happy New year everyone!
You want to be blessed? Invoke God’s name in blessing yourself, your family, your neighbors this 2017.
And the last, and the summary of all these three points is the word BLESS. To do things RIGHT AWAY when asked and told is another way to bless yourself and others. To KEEP what is good and right in our minds and hearts is another way to bless yourself and others. To INVOKE God’s name in every hopes and desires is another way to bless yourself and others.
May God, who made it possible for Mary to be the mother of His Son, our brother, pour his blessings now and forever to each one of you here right now. May the Lord bless you and keep you! May he let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! And may you find peace in your hearts! Happy New year everyone!
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