Happy New Year

Happy New Year! Hope your holidays whatever faith tradition you are were a wonderful time of family and friends and fun!

As I have been reflecting a lot on all that has happened in the last year, and trust me when I say it's been a rough one, the amount of change and growth that has happened with me is amazing. It's like I've become a completely new person. That's the neat thing about the new year. We get to start all over again fresh with no mistakes. I thought this was an appropriate theme for a New Year post seeing as in the Roman Catholic tradition we celebrate this weekend the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I always love a baptism. To see new parents with so much joy in their hearts and on their faces as they celebrate their new little person, and the reactions of that new little person, as they get the water poured over their little head. It makes me wonder how Mary and Joseph looked, and what they were feeling as they watched their son Jesus, be welcomed into their Jewish faith. Now while the events that occur at a Catholic baptism and a Jewish one are different in a way they are the same. They welcome the new baby into a community of love, faith and support that goes back hundreds and hundreds of years. What an awesome gift that is for both the parents and the baby and all who are there to celebrate with them.

For Catholics, baptism is when we are made pure, and a new image in Christ, where we are cleansed of original sin, and are commissioned to go forth and share the good news of Jesus. A rather incredible and overwhelming task for that little person, which unfortunately they won't even begin to understand until much later in their lives, if they ever really do. At the same time what a tremendous responsibility for the parents. They are promising before God, and on occasion the entire faith community, that they will raise the child to the best of their abilities and instruct them in the ways of their faith. Such a monumental task in our modern age. I applaud the parents who do this faithfully everyday and continue to pray with all of them that their son or daughter will one day carry on the great mission of evangelization that each of us are called to.

So think of all the "new" things you can do this year. This year I made a resolution to just enjoy the moments of everyday life and those who share our lives with us, as well as to continue to be like Jesus to others whether they are friend or foe. I will do my best to love them like Jesus did. We've been given a clean slate to move forward, put what happened last year, good or bad, behind us and start again anew. What an awesome gift!

May God Bless You Always,
Carol