Happy New Year 2017 (Fr. Vinner)

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ Jesus,

Indeed we are all called today, to celebrate three celebrations: Mary The Holy Mother of God. Happy New Year-2017. The World Day of Peace.

The life of Jesus begins with Mary. Therefore, it is appropriate that we begin the New Year with a Feast of Mary, the Mother of God. Since Mary is the Mother of God she is the mother of joy, joy to the world. So the traditional greeting on this first day of the New Year is one of joy: Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! How many times did we hear that today? How many times did we give that same greeting to others? Was it just a conventional greeting or was it a real wish? In other words is it really possible to find happiness in the New Year? It would be a mistake, of course, to expect perfect happiness this year or any year in this life. This innate, insatiable drive we all have for perfect happiness can only be satisfied in the next life. As St. Augustine said, “Lord, you have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.” But there is a deep, lasting peace that everyone can have in this life. So on this first day of the New Year let us ask for the grace to know Jesus more intimately, love him more ardently and follow him more closely so that this may be a truly Happy New Year!

We ought always to remember that development in the church is about one thing only: that in our attempt to understand God, we grow in comprehension of the meaning of the incarnation in our world and life. It is in this light that we must reflect on the Virgin Mary, Theotokos, Mother of God, Mother of Jesus Incarnate. The Council of Ephesus affirmed in AD 431 that Mary was truly the Mother of God (Theotokos), and in AD 451, the Council of Chalcedon affirmed the Divine Motherhood of Mary as a dogma, an official doctrine of the Holy Catholic Church. And just as Mary interpreted all things, pondered all things, in her heart, so does the church reflect on her and the Incarnation through its liturgy, its writings and its faith. That is why her oldest feast is celebrated within the octave of Christmas, of Emmanuel, of God with us: for all devotion to Mary is a corollary to our devotion to, following of, and worship of Christ.

The first reading gives us the beautiful Divine blessing from the book of Numbers for our New Year. St. Paul reminds the Galatians and us that God’s Son has become one of us through Mary and that it was through Him that we have become the children of God. Gospel describes how the shepherds spread to all their neighbors the Good News surrounding the birth of Jesus which the angel had revealed to them. The Gospel also tells us how Mary treasured “all these things” in her heart, and it reports that on the day of His Circumcision, the Child was given the name Jesus that had been chosen by God Himself.

A boy asked his father, “Dad, if three frogs were sitting on a limb that hangs over a pool, and one frog decided to jump off into the pool, how many frogs would be left on the limb?”

The dad replied, “Two.”

“No,” the son replied. “Here is the question again: There are three frogs and one decided to jump, how many are left?”

The dad said, “Oh, I get the point! If one decided to jump, the others would too. So there are none left.”

The boy said, “No dad, the answer is three. The frog only DECIDED to jump.”

Does that sound like our last year’s resolutions? Great inspiration and great resolutions, but oftentimes we only decide, and months later we are still on the same limb of doing nothing. (Deciding to Jump).

1) Let us strive to be pure and holy like our Heavenly Mother. All mothers want their children to inherit or acquire their good qualities. Hence, let us honor Mary, our Heavenly Mother, by practicing her virtues of Faith, obedience, purity and humble service.

2) Let us make the New Year meaningful by having every day a) some noble thing to dream, b) something good to do, and c) someone to love, the first person being Jesus.

3) Let us sanctify every day of the New Year: a) by offering all the activities of the day for God’s Glory every morning, thus transforming them into prayers; b) by asking for the anointing and strengthening of the Holy Spirit to do good to others and to avoid evil; c) by remaining faithful to our family prayer and Bible reading at night; d) by asking God’s pardon and forgiveness for our  sins committed  during the day; and e) by seeking God’s special protection during our sleep. Before we sleep, let us say, “Good night, Lord. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. So today we celebrate Mary as Our Mother and Mother of the Church because she is the Mother of Jesus and thus Mother of God. Let us place this New Year under her Maternal protection and strive to live as her son lived, seeking only the will of the Father. “The Lord Bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!”

Wishing you all Happy New Year-2017. May God Bless you.
Fr. S. vinner HGN.