NEW YEAR’S DAY – THE SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD

Here is a fun story to begin this New Year:

A wise old Mother Superior from County Tipperary was dying.  The nuns gathered around her bed, trying to make her more comfortable.  They gave her some warm milk, but she refused it. 

Taking the glass of milk back to the kitchen, one nun remembered that the sisters had been given a bottle of Irish whiskey for Christmas.  She opened the bottle and poured a generous amount of whiskey into the warm milk.

The nun returned to the Mother Superior and offered this glass of warm milk to her.  She took a sip, drank a little more and eventually drank the entire glass.

Another nun asked earnestly, “Mother Superior, give the community some words of wisdom before you die.”

Mother Superior raised her head and piously said, “Whatever you do, don’t sell that cow.”

It is with laughter, genuine prayer, and a grateful heart that we ring in this New Year. 

A New Year is more than a change in calendars – it is a new beginning.  No wonder the image of a newly born diapered baby wearing a banner with a number of the year symbolizes a New Year.  It is a new life, a new beginning.  We all like new beginnings.

No matter how we look at the New Year, it is never a blank slate or a fresh start.  We may wish it to be … but the simple fact is that we all feel the gravity of the past year or years pulling at us.

When I wished someone a “Happy New Year” this morning, I was taken aback their response, “Can you guarantee it will be a Happy Year?”  Cynical but perhaps understandable. No, I cannot guarantee it will be a Happy New Year for another person because my idea of what makes a Happy New Year may not be the same as it is for you or another member of your family.

As we stand on the threshold of a new calendar year, looking back over the past year, what do you envision making this a Happy New Year?

May I suggest that true happiness begins with appreciating the gift of being who I am, simply because God made me.  With all my shortcomings, faults, weakness and sinfulness, God still loves me and always will.  In the words of the poet George Herbert:

“You have given so much to me, but give me one more thing.  Grant me a grateful heart.”

So, what if instead of making New Year’s resolutions, which we will probably forget by the end of January, we simply strive to be more grateful.

  • What if instead of resolving to lose ten pounds, you resolve to be grateful for the food you have each day but eat less so the hungry can have more?
  • What if instead of resolving to get more physical exercise, you resolve to be grateful each day for your physical and spiritual heath?
  • What if instead of resolving to spend less time scrolling through social media, you resolve to be grateful for your ability to see and hear and you express that gratitude by volunteering to help those struggling with illiteracy? Or spend your time growing in your faith by being of service to others?
  • What if instead of resolving to stop feeling sorry for ourselves, we resolve to be grateful that each of us, because of our gift of faith, are not slaves of sin but rather children of God?

On this first day of the year, each of us, would be better off counting our blessings for what we have been given rather than making resolutions that will be quickly forgotten.

In our first reading today, we find the three blessings Aaron bestowed on the Israelites before they began their journey from Mt. Sinai to the Promised Land.  They are easy to remember:  just think of the three P’s. 

Divine PROTECTION:  The Lord bless you and keep you.

Divine PRESENCE:  The Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

Divine PEACE:  The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace.

Let this be the prayer we bless each other with as we begin this New Year.