by Fr Francis Anthony
Numbers 6:22-27
Psalm 66:2-3,5,6,8
Galatians 4:4-7
Luke 2:16-21
Theme: O God, be Gracious and Bless us
Dear friends,
We are beginning the first day of the Year 2022 and we have come here, those of us here present and those following online, with our experiences of 2021.
And to be fair, 2021 was not that good. We had the COVID problem, we had people who lost their jobs or whose salaries were cut, we had our dear ones who have left us and most of all, we personally, our children are losing their education. It is very nice to say classes are online but education is more than studying subjects. The interaction among the students where their develop values, this has been curtailed. And we are not able to do anything about it. That is the experience we had and leave alone in our political front, there is nothing to shout about as our leaders are today.
And we are here, with deep in our hearts, how is this 2022 going to go along. I would not be able to say it is going to be a better year, we can make it but we are the same people who have gone through 2021 and going to walk into 2022. We have all the experiences of 2021. Let us use this experiences for the 2022 and to make a better situation as far as we are able. We might not succeed. That doesn’t matter. But whether we have the enthusiasm to make a better world or a better Malaysia or a better Penang.
And today, liturgically, we are celebrating the Feast of Our Lady, Mary, as the Mother of God. Yes, the title is something new but biblically, the first time she was made the Mother, pronounced by Jesus himself on the cross just before he died, he saw his apostle John and Mary standing at the foot of the cross. He said to John: “Behold your mother” and to Mary: “Behold your son”. The responsibility to be the Mother of the Church was given to her at the moment of her suffering. She was seeing her son there on the cross. It is during that moment of suffering she had been given that role.
And look at all of us. In one way or another we are suffering. And in this suffering, God is telling us something – To become responsible people.
Yes, it is not just the Mother of God and I prayed the rosary and finished. But I imitate her. That same Jesus on the cross is telling to me today – Face the realities. We cannot run away from it.
Today is also the World Day for Peace.
Jesus in the beatitudes, he spoke “Blessed are the peacemakers”. Let us take on ourselves the responsibility – How am I creating an atmosphere of harmony, love, concern, care around me? Am I a disciple of hope?
Yes, we can ask the whole world to change and burn candles after candles but what am I doing for that peace in my own area? Yes, I cannot do anything for what is happening in Myanmar, in Sudan or in Syria or in Nigeria and say that is their problem. No. Am I a disciple of hope bringing peace?
On this World Day of Peace, let us ask God to give us the strength. That we are peacemakers. Beginning from home and we extent to our BECs, to our Parish, to our country and so forth. If all of us take the responsibility to bring peace by our way of conduct, there will be no problems in the world.
And in the Second Reading from Galatians, God has planned. And what is His plan for us? Written by St Paul that all of us have to be His adopted children. And He made that possible through the Holy Spirit. And due to the Spirit in us, we are able to call God “Father”.
So we see:
Whoever we are , wherever we are, whatever nationality, whatever colour, all of us are the children of God and God’s plan is for us to be His representatives here on earth. Let us ask God to give us the strength to struggle for peace.
My dear friends, 2022 will have its own problems, whatever they be. But I will be the person journeying and let us ask God to give us the strength to be mature, to give us the strength to be able to decipher good from evil. To be people who are responsible and it is in that way we can make 2022 bright.
Yes, it is one thing to pray for peace but it is more challenging when we have to be the peacemakers.
My dear friends, with lots of trepidation in our hearts, with what has happened to us in 2021, we lift up to God to give us the strength to go and to be with Him.
And I would like to emphasise God’s presence in us. Yes, we are not walking in the dark and groping about. He is here with us and that is what we had in our First Reading when Moses told Aaron, who was the priest, he had to bless the people.
And the same blessing I would call God to give each one of us here present and the blessing goes like this:-
May the Lord bless you and keep.
May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace.
With God on our side, everything and anything is possible.
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