The New year begins… and as in all beginnings of the year, we all make vows and promises for this New Year. . .How good that we will have a little more money to be able to care better for our family and how good the we may have better health to be able, in full form, to help others and to live our daily life better.

Therefore, for us Christians, each year should be an opportunity, not only for us to seek a just comfort, but to grow still more in our life with God. In the not too distant past, we had the custom of calling each year “The Year of Grace of Our Lord”, growing more in the year in which we are. If we return to that custom, we would be able to say that we are in the Year of the Grace of Our Lord of 2013. Yes the year of 2013 can be for us a year fulled with grace, if we at the side of t our material projects, we may begin to make our heart to be more closer to God, giving Him more time to act in us. It may be time before His Word, read and meditated upon, it may be in his Eucharistic Presence, before the tabernacle or going many times to encounter-Him in the Eucharistic celebrations daily in our parish.

At the end of year 2012, I lost my first friend from infancy in an automobile accident. When I received news  of his death, it happened to me what happened to all people who lose a loved person…the memories passed through my head quickly and profoundly and in the end there came that weight of not having given more time in the last time we encountered each other. Of not having fixed my eyes profoundly upon him as Jesus did when he encountered people. (Mk 10:21; John 1:42) but it was already too late, Jackson, that was his name, left for eternity and I continued my road on this Earth, where I will try to be more attentive to encounter my friends form infancy and others that today are with me and tomorrow will be here no longer.

At the side of project materials, at the side of spiritual forces that we are going to do, perhaps we would be able to make 2013 the year of attention, yes, a loving and profound attention with friends and  family, with Jesus as example. That in this year of 2013, you can see and love your spouse, as you never saw and loved him or her! That in this year you children can see and love your parents and grandparents as never before. That in this year of 2013, you parents can see and love your children with the look of eternity. That in this year we can look upon each other as Christ looks upon us, in order that each encounter may be come eternal, divinized by the presence of God…in order that 2013 may be that which really is a Year of Grace for the Lord.

Happy 2013 to All!.

Father Luciano de Oliveira Paula
Member of the  Instituto Servos de Jesus Salvador

translated from Portuguese