1 Jn 2:18-21 / Jn 1:1-18
With the end of this day, we mark not only the end of a year, but the beginning of a new one. Our counting of time is entirely arbitrary, so the end of this day has nothing intrinsically special to offer us. But the symbolism of the day is powerful and potentially very wholesome, for it raises in our imaginations far-reaching thoughts about new possibilities.
As Pope John Paul II urged upon us repeatedly, the new year is an opportunity to re-imagine ourselves and the way we live together in this world. It’s an opportunity to listen anew to the Good News of Jesus, to take it in more deeply than ever before, and to ask ourselves, “Why not?”
Why settle for so little when the Lord offers us so much? Why settle for lives that are half empty? Why let our days be darkened by fears and by unresolved conflicts with those we ought to love and enjoy?
Now is the acceptable time. Now is the time to take the initiative in seeking reconciliation within our selves and with God and those around us. Let us become peacemakers and build a new world that knows peace.