We start this year with a special feast in honor of Mary, Mother of Jesus, Mother of God, and Mother of us all. January 1st, since 1968 has also been considered as the World Day of Peace, and I dedicate this year to the Blessed Mother as she blesses us with her protection and love. May she always protect our families, those still hurting with recent tragedies, those who lost loved ones, and those who seem lost or disoriented in life. As she knows the pain and anguish of losing a child, may we look towards her for direction, for motivation, and consolation. May Mary, the Queen of Peace and her Son, the Prince of Peace bless the world with peace and harmony, the poor with care and prosperity, the despairing with hope and confidence, the grieving with comfort and gladness, the oppressed with freedom and deliverance, the suffering with solace and relief.
As we start another year, we see ahead of us 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds. And all of it is a gift from God. We have done nothing to deserve it, earn it, or purchase it. Like the air we breathe, time comes to us as a part of life. The gift of time is not ours alone. It is given equally to each person. Rich and poor, educated and ignorant, strong and weak—every man, woman and child has the same twenty-four hours every day. Another important thing about time is that you cannot stop it. There is no way to slow it down, turn it off, or adjust it. Time marches on. And you cannot bring back time. Once it is gone, it is gone. Yesterday is lost forever. If yesterday is lost, tomorrow is uncertain. We may look ahead at a full year’s block of time, but we really have no guarantee that we will experience any of it. Obviously, time is one of our most precious possessions. We can waste it. We can worry over it. We can spend it on ourselves. Or, as good stewards, we can invest it in the kingdom of God. As the seconds tick away, will you be tossing time out the window, or will you make every minute count? Make this simple resolution this year - make every minute count!
I wish all visitors to this blog a healthy, peace-filled, joyous and harmonious New Year!
