A New Year in God’s will
We all make new year’s resolutions. Some of us want to loose weight. Some of us want to stop certain bad habits and pick up good habits. And all that is great. But do we think to do God’s will as a new year’s resolution?
Perhaps this idea of God’s will is too abstract for us. It is a concept foreign to us because we live in a world that is too focused on material things. A world that moves from one thing to the next, and does not stop to contemplate the bigger picture.
A parishioner recently asked me what is my favourite movie, and Forest Gump came to mind. If you have seen it, you may recall that Forest was part of many important events in US history, but he was unaware of them. Another point in the movie is that in order for Forest to survive, Jenny, the love of his love, told him to run when he found himself in trouble. He had no purpose for running other than to survive. Everyone thought he was running for a good cause. All he wanted was to live a happy life but he only discovered true happiness once he stopped running and began to let go.
Today we can be like Forest too, being aware that there is something more to life than the material things that we think will make us happy.
It is important in this new year to let go of things and truly focus on the things that matter, things that will help us to get closer to God’s love and to the love of our neighbour.
In the end Forest understands that his love for Jenny is what matters. His purpose was to love, even a person like Jenny, (for those who have seen the film).
To love freely is to be in God’s will. St Augustine says: “For you made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you”.
Let us find God’s love this year, and let us desire to do his will. As we continue this pilgrimage of Hope for the Jubilee Year, let us remember that faith and hope will pass, but what remains is Agape or Love. The perfect love of God, that calls us to live.
Have a blessed 2025 everyone.
With all good wishes,
