Sharer of God's Grace
As we welcome the new year, we thank the Lord, who gave us many opportunities to know, love, and serve Him in our daily events in life. Let us focus at the moment on the great gifts we have received this year. There is no place for sadness and negativity at the moment. We begin the year with the celebration of the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God. Let us reflect then on the message of Our Lord as we begin this year with a fresh mind and heart, being docile to the will of the Father.
First, as the year ends, let us not forget the blessings we received. Recognizing the blessings we received gives us a sense of joy in our hearts. Blessings from God are a free gift that God gives to each of us. As the saying goes, “Count your blessings.” This can help us to have grateful hearts and see the goodness of God in everything. As we begin a new year, make it a practice to write a journal that contains what we are grateful for every day that has passed. It can be an object, a person, an experience, or an encounter. Appreciating these gifts also makes us humble because it pushes us to have a disposition of thanksgiving that can be contagious to the person we encounter. Like Mary, may we keep all these things, reflecting on them in our hearts.
Second, as we recognize our blessings, let us realize our own blessedness. True blessings can only be actualized in heaven with God. In spite of that, we can aspire for partial blessedness like Mary by doing the will of God. Let us be stewards of God’s grace by using the gifts we receive for the common good of society. We are continuously blessed by God in our daily lives by living a life of obedience. Sometimes, we are blinded by what can truly satisfy us due to the pleasures that the world offers us. Avail the sacrament of confession frequently so that we may enjoy the mercy and love of God for us. Let us be cautious of the false alarm of worldly pleasures that ultimately deprives us of God’s life within us.
Third, as we realize our own blessedness, let us not be tired of blessing others too. To bless the people we see with our gifts will only become a true gift if it is shared with others. Let us not focus on what we are about to receive, but let us attune our motives to what we can give. Like the shepherd, may we go in haste in Bethlehem to the people who are in need and return to our homes, glorifying and praising God for what we have witnessed. We cannot give what we do not have. Let the gifts be an instrument of God’s blessing for other people by starting to be a sharer of God’s economy of grace.
This is the year of the Lord, let us not forget the blessings we received, let us realize our own blessedness, and let us not be tired of blessing others too, so that God’s presence may reign always in our hearts, where peace may dwell every time in our lives. Let us look on Mary, who bear Jesus until the end, let us be the bearer of God's gift to all. This is God’s word that is being shared with us: Be a sharer of God's grace and let us rejoice and be glad.
