Good evening to everyone. We are standing on a threshold. Behind us is the year that has passed—with all its victories, its failures, its la...
Good evening to everyone. We are standing on a threshold. Behind us is the year that has passed—with all its victories, its failures, its laughter, and its tears. Ahead of us is a blank calendar, a new year waiting to be written.
Outside these walls, the world prepares for this transition with noise. Fireworks, loud music, shouting, horns blowing. The world believes that the best way to drive away the bad spirits of the past and welcome the future is to be loud.
But the Church invites us to do the exact opposite. We start the New Year not with a shout, but with a whisper. We start with a mother holding her child. We start with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.
Looking at our readings tonight—from the blessing of Aaron in Numbers, to St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians, and the scene at the Manger in Luke—I want to offer you three words. Three words that start with the letter "P" to serve as your compass for the coming year: Pause, Position, Promise.
1. PAUSE
The first word comes from our Gospel. It is PAUSE.
The Gospel tells us that the shepherds went "in haste." There was excitement and commotion. But then the camera of Scripture focuses on Mary. Verse 19 says: "Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart."
In a world that is addicted to speed, Mary teaches us the power of the Pause.
How many of us have already made our New Year’s Resolutions? Usually, they are about doing more. "I will exercise more. I will earn more. I will travel more." We are obsessed with motion. But if we enter the New Year running, we might run in the wrong direction.
I remember speaking to a young father who told me, "Father, I worked so hard last year. I took every overtime shift because I wanted to provide for my family. But when I looked at my photos from the year, I realized I was missing from almost all the birthday parties and family dinners. I provided for the house, but I was absent from the home."
He didn't need to run faster; he needed to pause.
Tonight, follow Mary’s example. Before the clock strikes twelve, stop. Don't just count the seconds; make the seconds count. Look back at the past year. Don't look for the regrets. Look for the grace. Where did God catch you when you fell? Who helped you when you were sick?
To ponder means to put the pieces together to see the whole picture. If you pause, you will see that you did not survive this year because of your own strength; you made it because God held you.
2. POSITION
The second word comes from our Second Reading, St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians. That word is POSITION.
St. Paul writes a powerful line: "So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God."
This is about your identity. This is your Position.
Many of us walk into the New Year with anxiety. We worry about the economy, about wars in other countries, about our health. Fear is the mindset of a slave. A slave worries, "Will my master feed me tomorrow? Will I be punished? Am I good enough?"
But a child doesn't worry about those things. When a child holds their father's hand walking through a dark alley, they aren't afraid of the dark. Why? Because they know who they are with. They know their position.
There is a story of a little boy on a turbulent flight. The plane was shaking violently, and the adults were gripping their armrests, knuckles white with fear. But the little boy was calmly coloring in his book. A woman asked him, "Are you not scared?" The boy smiled, pointed to the cockpit, and said, "No, ma'am. My dad is the pilot."
My friends, as we enter this New Year, do not enter it with a "slave mentality," thinking you have to earn your right to exist or that you are alone against the world. Enter it knowing your Position. You are a son or daughter of the King. The Pilot of history is your Father.
When inflation rises, or problems come, remind yourself: "I am an heir to the Kingdom. My Father has resources the world knows nothing about." That confidence changes everything.
3. PROMISE
Finally, the third "P". We have the Pause, we have our Position, and from the First Reading in the Book of Numbers, we have the PROMISE.
This reading contains the oldest blessing in the Bible: "The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!"
Tonight, millions of people will say "Good luck!" or "Happy New Year!" But luck is random. Luck is rolling the dice. As Christians, we don't live by luck; we live by Promise.
The specific promise here is beautiful: "The Lord let his face shine upon you."
In the ancient world, if a King looked away from you, you were in danger. But if the King turned his face toward you and made eye contact, it meant you had his favor. It meant you were safe.
The promise of the New Year is not that there will be no storms. The promise is that in the middle of the storm, God will not look away. He will keep His face turned toward you.
I visited a hospital recently, and I saw a husband sitting by the bedside of his wife who was very ill. He wasn't saying anything. He was just sitting there, looking at her, holding her hand. I asked the wife later, "Was it boring having him just sit there?" She smiled weakly and said, "No, Father. Just knowing he was looking at me, I knew I wasn't alone. It gave me the strength to fight the pain."
That is the Promise. God’s face is turned toward you. He is watching over your family, your work, and your dreams for this coming year.
Brothers and sisters, the fireworks will fade. The noise will stop. The calendar will turn. But the Word of God remains.
So, here is your strategy for a blessed New Year: PAUSE like Mary. Find quiet moments to see God’s hand in your life. Remember your POSITION. You are not a slave to fear; you are a beloved child of God. Trust in the PROMISE. You don't need luck. You have the face of God shining upon you.
If you carry these three things, it doesn't matter what the New Year brings. You will be ready.
I wish you all a holy, peaceful, and blessed New Year.
Amen.
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