Reflection
O Eternal Mystery, You who live outside of time and reside in the imperishable moment, we ask Your blessing on this new year.
Help us to experience each second of life, help us not to miss that which is important.
The new year does not undo the difficulties of the year that has passed but it does generate a new sense of hope. Each new moment will have the potential of being a fresh beginning, a breakthrough moment, a possibility for developing harmony and peace. We trust that this year will be a graced time, a time to grow in love, and a time to renew a commitment to living the message and vision of Jesus. The days and weeks to come will slowly unfold. We welcome them as the time to emerge from the experiences of the past year with new vision and new purpose. It is a time for new beginnings, and the renewal of the purpose to live life fully. The past year has been a harsh teacher. Let us remember its lessons.
Prayer
May all be filled with joy and peace,
may all beings everywhere, the strong and the weak,
the great and the small, the meek and the powerful,
both seen and unseen, dwelling far off or nearby,
being or waiting to become,
may all be filled with lasting joy.
Let no one deceive another,
let no one out of anger or resentment wish suffering to anyone at all.
Let your love flow outward through the whole universe
to its full height, depth and broad extent.
Then as you stand or walk, sit or lie down,
your life will bring you heaven on earth.
Author unknown
Action
Learn from the past year and resolve to be open to new ways of living as this earth community.
Suggested Reading
Behold I am with you always.
Matthew 28:20
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.
St. Francis de Sales
I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.
Thomas Jefferson
New year—a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? Ultimately, we write it. The choice is ours.
Alex Morritt
Last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice.
T.S.Eliot
Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.
Cherokee Indian Proverb
With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Let our New Year’s resolution be this: we will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity, in the finest sense of the word.
Goran Persson
Each year’s regrets are envelopes in which messages of hope are found for the New Year.
John R. Dallas Jr.
Make New Year’s goals. Dig within, and discover what you would like to have happen in your life this year. This helps you do your part. It is an affirmation that you’re interested in fully living life in the year to come.
Melody Beattie
What I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.
Author Unknown
When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive -to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.
Marcus Aurelius
And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.
Rainer Maria Rilke
Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.
Oprah Winfrey