JOURNEY WITH MARY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
“Happy New Year! The human family will hardly forget the year 2020 in a hurry. The horror and devastation of Covid-19 pandemic which brought sadness, misery and sorrow to many families will continue to linger in our memories. The year also prevented many Catholics and Charismatics from public worship so as to reduce the spread of the virus.
As we begin our faith journey as Catholics and Charismatics in this New Year, I enjoin us to put the old behind us and look to the new with hope and courage. To put the challenges and difficulties of the year 2020 behind us and look forward to 2021 with great hope and positive expectation from God. As we begin the New Year the Church put before us the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God as our model, so, let us journey with Mary in the Holy Spirit.
Mary carried Jesus to the world. With her unconditional faith, our Blessed Mother saw the love of God in the sorrowful, the ordinary, and the joyful experience of life. She who placed her trust in God saw his glory in everything.
Mary’s hope never wavered, not even in the darkest hour of her life, at the death of Jesus. Hers was the only human heart in which the light of hope was not extinguished when Jesus died. Though she did not know how, she was firmly convinced that somehow her son would fulfil the promise of his resurrection.
As for her love, who can fathom the depth of Mary’s love? All her life was a continuous praise of God, thanking him for the joy of having sent the savoir to the world. (Lk. 1:47). The Blessed Virgin Mary’s love encompassed everyone. The Spirit went on training her for the moment when Jesus her son would entrust to her motherly care the whole human family. (Jn. 19:26-27). If there has been a woman of whom it can be truly said that she was a loving person, Mary is that woman.
Throughout her life, Mary behaves as a loving daughter of God. Led by the Spirit, she went deeper than anyone in discovering God’s love. Mary was so conscious a daughter of God that at the annunciation, she declared herself to be “the Lord’s handmaid.” It was the Spirit in her who gave her the wisdom and understanding to respond to God’s love.
At the end of 2020, a challenging year both for the Church and our world, the model of Mary offers a wonderful guide for our year ahead. As we begin this New Year with all the uncertainty, let us immerse ourselves in God’s love and respond to his presence and grace by bringing that love to others. Let us share how God is working in our lives with those around us and resolve to let God shape our hearts to be more generous and loving. With eyes of faith and hope, we will know God’s presence in our daily lives, and it will bring us peace.
May our New Year as Catholics and Charismatics be a year of renewed commitment, courage, hope, love and restoration. Let us pray for one another that 2021 will be a year full of blessing and joy for all of us and our loved ones in Jesus name.