O yes! We made it, we are here, thank God. We are grateful to God for his goodness and mercy. God has been so kind to us. Of course, everything that happened in your life in 2020 may not be all you desired or expected but we have a lot to be thankful for. We are deeply grateful to God for all the good things he has done in our life.
My favorite prayer is from the Scriptures. I enjoy praying scripturally because it is real, it works, and the words are genuine. I will share and pray my new year prayer with you;
The Lord said to Moses: “Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them; The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! So, they shall invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
The words of this prayer actually came from God himself. “Say to them; The Lord bless you and keep you!” It is one thing to be blessed and another thing to be kept for the blessing. It is one thing to be blessed with wealth and another thing to be in good health in order to enjoy the wealth. It is one thing to be blessed with a good certificate and another thing to be blessed with the right and good job. It is one thing to win and another thing to be able to manage success. It is one thing to have a wedding and another thing to a have a marriage, it is one thing to have your dream job and another thing to be able to keep the job. In fact, the list can be longer...
As we begin the new year, we make lots of promises to ourselves, what we called “New Year Resolutions.” We make certain commitments like; I will take my faith more seriously, I will eat more healthy food, I will exercise more frequently, I will discipline myself financially, I will pay more attention to my health, I will make effort to quit smoking, I will cut down on my drinking, I will do more with my family, I will participate and give more to my parish, etc. Whatever may be your New Year Resolution(s), may the Lord grant you the grace to not just quit in February.
As you enter the New Year, my prayer for you is this: May the Lord bless you and keep you. And may He let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May you have a happy and prosperous New Year.
May the blessings of Almighty God, The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit remain with you and your family both now and forever – Amen.
Happy New Year!
Father Abraham