I am excited looking forward to seeing the end of the year 2022. Now I am trying to think about New Year’s resolutions and plans for the New Year. Nothing about losing weight, but gaining weight in love. St. Augustine says, “my love is my weight.”
The first reading today from the first letter of St. John 2:3-11 provides the best advice in order to really prepare for the New Year. St, John says that knowing Jesus is “to keep His commandments.” And he added, “Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness.
Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall.” Hence, love is the most beautiful commandment to bring joy and stop animosity. My focus is to be loving and to be authentic. I pray to God to give me the grace of compassion.
As the new year gets closer, it is inevitable to experience stressful time. Therefore, for any difficult relationships in our lives, we add a little “cheer” so that going through a hard time, we can cope with it. It is only in rediscovering Christ, that we see Jesus is our Light. Resentment simply can’t enslave us and prevent us from being able to shine in darkness.
After all, Christmas is exactly about the coming of God, who is Love. He comes into the world, the Light in the midst of the world’s darkness, the Light into our hearts. Hence, we must forgive. We have to love the way He has loved. We can only do that if we are open to continue to let the healing grace of Christmas touch us.
In today’s gospel, the Holy Family goes up to the temple in Jerusalem to be faithful to the law. They meet Simeon, an Old Testament prophet-type person, who comes into the temple in the Spirit beholding the light to reveal to all the nations. Simeon prophesized that Mary’s own heart would be part of her Son’s suffering, a sword piercing her own heart. Her heart was open to accept whatever difficulties because she knew that it was a part of her motherhood role.
The Spirit sustaining Simeon while waiting for the Messiah is the same Spirit that led Jesus into the desert to fulfill His mission. Let the Spirit lead you to the places where you can reveal your light to others, and may you restore peace in your own heart.
God bless you.
Fr. Arlon, osa
