Happy New Year! As I’ve written before, I’ve never really been a New Year’s Eve kind of guy. It doesn’t feel like the beginning of my year. Being an educator, it seems like the middle of my year. Another thing is—and maybe this is pretentious—but I’ve never really been able to support a holiday whose main function is to drink lots of alcohol and watch a television. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy both alcohol and television, but at least a holiday like the Fourth of July has feelings of community, patriotism and fireworks! Maybe I just haven’t been invited to any good New Year parties.
I hope I don’t sound bitter, but after losing Mom, RJ and so many others, I think I’m ready to kick 2016 out the door—it definitely overstayed its welcome. Feeling this uneasiness, I read this week’s readings and, praying over them, they seemed to yell out, ‘Elliot, stop!’ There’s a beautiful little moment in this Sunday’s Gospel. We hear of the usual scene with the shepherds visiting the Holy Family, but then we get this small moment, when it says, “…and Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” She makes a conscience effort to remember these times. Good times, bad times, unknown events will happen, but at this moment, remember this. I think I’m going to follow Mary’s example and before I gear up to kick 2016 out the door, I’m going to take a moment to be present and before I reflect on the past and look to the future, realize that I’m here and everything that will happen will happen, for good or worse, after this moment. It’s as if the Lord was saying, Let the present moment be a present, take your time to unwrap it, breathe and enjoy. Happy New Year!
I’ll be seeing you,
Elliot