Inbox Inspiration: December 31, 2025: New Year's and Mary

 December 31, 2025

 

New Year’s and Mary

 

Dear Friends,

In our Catholic tradition, we celebrate the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God on New Year’s Day.  The idea is that seven days after celebrating the birth of Christ, we honor the holy woman who gave birth to him. 

The gospel passage that we hear at Mass every year on January 1^st pictures the shepherds coming to the manger and praising God. The passage says, “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). Twelve years later, Mary and Joseph find the child Jesus in the temple after he had been lost. Once again, the passage says that “Mary kept all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:51).   

So, what comes across is that Mary took in and reflected on what was happening. Maybe she was still trying to appreciate the full meaning of what the angel had told her about the child whom she would bear (Lule 1:31-32). My thought is that Mary’s reflective spirit invites us to be reflective as we begin a new year. 

 

I am thinking that we resolve to be present to the present moment. It was Mary’s mindfulness, her presence to the present that helped her to cooperate with God’s message and allow the mighty One to do great things through her (Luke 1:49). I recommend that we begin this New Year with the intention to do the same thing. How can we do this? I have a few ideas. 

 

We can live reflectively or be present to the present moment:

v When we let go of the “if onlys,” like, if only I had done this or not said that years ago.

v When we let go of the “what ifs,” like, what if people will make fun of me or won’t like what I am doing.  

v When we listen to our own feelings, like our discomfort in not doing more to assist someone who is really in need. 

v When we listen to what another person is saying to us, maybe about themselves or maybe about us.

v When we look for what God is saying to us in the Scripture, in our prayer, in the beauty of music, or in the events of life. 

 

I believe that when we do the above, we will be more at peace: more in touch with ourselves, more connected with others, and more one with God. 

Let’s set out to live 2026 being present to the present and “keeping all these things in our heart” as Mary did. 

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner