TIME FOR OUR ANNUAL YEAR-END COURSE CORRECTION
“When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.’
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled . . .
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.” Matthew 2:1-4
King Herod’s being “greatly troubled” at hearing of a newborn king arises from his deepest motivation which is set on protecting and furthering himself and his hold on what he considered to be “his” kingdom. How foolish we, myself included, can be at times, content with keeping our domain running according to the way we want! This is the complete antithesis of the hope of the Triune God, Who comes as a baby into the mess that we humans make of His world. This God-become-man, this newborn King, comes to help us, the lost and needy ones who can’t seem to find their way back to God, the true ‘end’ of our deepest longing.
MAKING TIME FOR INNER RECALIBRATION
Today, December 31, the last day of the calendar year, is a day on which for the last almost 70 years I have reflected on the past year, on how well I am living the commitment I made to choose God’s will in all things.1 The day will end like the last day of previous years with the renewal of my vows. This year I will use the Epiphany Gospel’s story of King Herod to reflect on my own personal progress in moving away from protecting and furthering myself, and recalibrate, cooperating with God’s drawing me toward the only mindset that will make me truly happy: surrendering myself to the Spirit-initiated breath of Love that leads our God to step down into the mess we humans, myself included, are creating. I welcome this day of surrender to the GPS-like “re-calibrating” that the Spirit of God is ready to make when we Herods are going in the wrong direction.
I recommend that, if you and your family lack such a tradition, you consider beginning one now. Spend a few quiet hours today or tomorrow remember that God is with you – always here, so often totally unnoticed. Ponder how well you lived during the past year, how true you were to the most important promises of your life, be they vows to God or to a significant person in your life, perhaps even to yourself or to a parent, child or neighbor, how well you loved justice and walked humbly with your God. (It may help to remember that, made in the “image and likeness of God”, we are not meant to be self-appointed Herod’s creating our own worlds. We are meant to be like a Trinity of persons, connecting with each other with bonds that generate a spirit of Love.)
And then end the day or begin the next day with attendance at a special Mass where you promise to live the coming year starting anew on your recalibrated journeying into a fuller awareness of God who always comes into the messiness we humans create. Why? Because God is the Love that our hearts have been made to long for. (God wants us to get there!) It is only in longing for God that we will be happy.
Let the Spirit of Love and the example of Jesus illumine our way as we travel together through the coming year’s journeying into God.
S. Loretta
PS. Maybe, as my religious life training recommends, set aside the first Sunday of every month for some recalibrating, too.
- Remember those life-long promises made at Baptism, First Communions, Confirmation, wedding ceremonies, child-births. death of loved ones?