How to benefit from the blessings of the New Year
Num. 6:22-27
Gal. 4:4-7
Lk. 2:16-21
Dearest brothers and sisters, today is a very
important and special day in the life of everyone of us . It is the beginning
of a new year, a day of a new beginning. It is a day that presents us with a
great opportunity to look at the last year and thank God for the graces of
entering another year.
Last year was started by many people, but not
all those who began it crossed over to this new year. Since the grace of God
has helped us to enter a new year, let us thank God for all his love, blessings,
protection, mercies and favors for the last year, and for being in another new
year.
But what is the best way to begin a new year?
the Church in her wisdom has shown us the best way to begin this new year, it
is with the blessings of God. Dearest friends, without the blessings of God we
cannot do anything. Having seen how important his blessings were for the Israelites
to survive in the desert, God, in the first reading of today, directed Moses to
tell Aaron to bless the house of Israel with His name. He said “Tell
Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: The
Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be
gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.’ So,
they will call my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” It is the
blessings of God that will guide and lead us this new year. Indeed, we need
these blessings.
Therefore, friends, from the
altar of the Eucharistic sacrifice, through the instrumentality of the priests,
God sends his blessings of love, peace, healing, favour, prosperity, grace,
safety in travels, protections, joy, happiness and many more blessings into your life and into
your families today. These blessings are very important for all of us to
survive any storms of the new year. They are needed to succeed in our plans for
the year. Last year, many storms threatened our lives, especially the storms of
Covid-19, but the blessings, graces and protection of God kept us going.
The church also calls us to rely
on the graces and protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary this year. In Mary, we
have a mother who loves us and cares about our needs. She is a mother who
stands before her son interceding for us every day. This is the reason why the
church has dedicated every first of January, the beginning of the new year to her.
Let us embrace her, commit our plans and projects for the new year under her
protection and guidance. Let us call on her through the rosary every day of
this year.
Dear friends, every new year is a
call for a new beginning, a new life and a new vision. The church invites us
today to make new resolutions to abandon old ways of sin and embrace a new
life. So, today gives us the opportunity to reflect on how we lived the last
year, resolve to change whatever was not good about it and march ahead into this
new year with new life and new resolutions. This resolution to live a good life
is more important because of the blessings God is giving us today. For us to
enjoy the beautiful blessings of the new year, we have to receive them with new
life. Christ told us that we cannot put new wine in old wineskins. If we do put
our new wines in old wineskins, both the wine and the wineskins will be lost. In
the same way, if we carry these new blessings of the new year in an old life of
sin, they will not be effective. So, let us say not to old life of envy, anger,
pride, arrogance, greed, wickedness, immorality, and other vices this year. Let
us instead say yes to love, peace, holy life, harmony, tolerance, unity,
forgiveness, and many other virtues. This way, the blessings of the new year
will not be lost. They will rather bear abundant fruits in us.
Happy New year.
Fr. Isaac C. Chima
#ChimaIsaac #NewYear #2021 #NewYearHomily
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