Cultivating Peace, Guided by Faith, and Renewed in Spirit: A Reflection for the New Year2025
As we step into 2025, it’s a fitting moment to reflect and ask ourselves: What do we bring into the New Year? What do we want to bring into our lives this year? These questions invite us to pause and consider how we can improve our lives. But more importantly, are we pursuing these aspirations with conviction?
During the homily on New Year’s Day, the officiating priest reminded us of the month of January’s origin, named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and transitions. Janus, with his two faces—one looking to the past and the other to the future—perfectly symbolizes the essence of the New Year: a time for gratitude for the past and hope for what lies ahead.
Life often calls for fresh starts. Though challenges test our character, they also offer opportunities for growth and resilience. Starting anew may not be easy, but it is always possible—especially when we seek God’s help.
As we journey through this year, let us carry Jesus in our hearts, just as we have in years past. He is our strength in weakness, our hope in despair, and the guide who lifts us when we fall. By making Him the center of our lives, we align ourselves with the path of personal and spiritual growth. With Jesus leading the way, our goals become attainable, grounded in faith and commitment. Let us strive to bear Christ and share Him with others through our words, actions, and way of life, so we can offer our best to God.
Another essential virtue to bring into the New Year is peace. If there is one thing humanity desperately needs, it is peace.
Around the world, wars, armed conflicts, terrorism, and violence leave countless lives shattered, with people crying out for relief. Other nations face corruption, organized crime, and all forms of trafficking, while even within our homes and communities, greed and self-interest sow division. How can we cultivate peace in our lives, homes, and communities? How do we nurture peace within ourselves each day?
Social media has amplified hostility and divisiveness, particularly in political discourse. Political trolling, fake news, and ad-hominem attacks fuel polarization, even breaking apart families and friendships. It is heartbreaking to see loved ones losing respect and love for one another over political differences. A friend shared how her “best friend” cut ties with her simply because of a disagreement over a political candidate. How have we come to value our opinions more than our relationships? As a matter of fact, I have personally experienced ad hominem attacks on social media by individuals unable to explain their viewpoints, relying instead on false information that they continuously spread for propaganda purposes.
Jesus Christ calls us to be instruments of peace and bearers of the Good News. This noble calling requires humility, strength, and courage. As St. Mother Teresa wisely said, “We in our family don’t need bombs and guns to bring peace—just get together, love one another… And we will be able to overcome all the evil that is in the world.” When we embrace peace, mercy, and love in our hearts, we radiate these virtues to our families, communities, and the world.
The New Year offers a profound opportunity to recalibrate, not just with celebrations but by seeking spiritual blessings that nourish the soul. As we strive for transformation, may we give our best to God, guided by the Holy Spirit and strengthened by the intercession of the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph. Let this be a year of renewal, where peace and love reign in our hearts and lives. Amen.
Holy God, we praise thy name, Lord of all we bow before thee….
Jesus, King of Mercy, we trust in You. Amen.
O Holy Mary, our Hope, handmaid of the Lord, pray for us.
Lord, make me a channel of your peace, where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is darkness, light, and where there is sadness, joy….- St. Francis of Assisi.