At this time, God gives us the opportunity to move our life to clean and purify our memories from those of the year before, plunging in the mercy of God.
God wants to heal our heart of all the misunderstandings, errors and sins with the grace of His forgiveness. At the same time, we have the chance to leave to the side all that traps us, abandon resentments and grudges, forgiving those who hurt us.
“Remember not* the events of the past,
the things of long ago consider not;
See, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?“(Is 43, 18).
New American Bible. (2011). (Revised Edition., Is 43:18–19). Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
When Sacred Scripture says to us not to remember the “happenings of the past” it does does not really mean to forget, but that we should not live as slaves of the happening that, now, do not exist anymore. We should remain with what was good and even take advantage of mistakes to our growth and maturation. Try, in truth, of a new change to re-begin and to be reborn anew through the grace of God.
A new life is possible. It is possible a new beginning in this exact moment, because God is with us, because Jesus is living and gives us His strength to rebegin. The difference is right here. If before we lived counting only on our energies, we can rebegin now through the “power of God”, Through the strength from above”, that is the Holy Spirit. It is this certainty that sprouts our hope.
It is a new year! It is time of hope! What was old remains behind. It is the Lord, knocking, who says: Get up, my son! The moment arrived, I re-establish you, I am going to renew your soul and your life. Have courage!”
I desire with all my heart that this new year maybe for you and for all your family a time of God’s grace, a time of hope and renewal.
Happy New Year!
Monsignor Jonas Abib
Founder of the Canção Nova Community