At the dawn of a new year, we all stand at the threshold of hope and renewal. Every New Year is an opportunity for a fresh beginning gifted to us by God. It invites us to look back and evaluate the paths we have travelled, to recognize and correct the mistakes we have made, and at the same time to move forward with renewed resolutions and dreams. Even as the challenges of our times, and the wars, violence, and intolerance that afflict the world, sow anxiety in the human heart, the hope we have received in Christ continues to shine as a light that never fades. The strength with which we welcome the New Year arises from the hope born of the faith that God is with us even in the midst of every crisis.
This hope must not remain confined to memories but must be transformed into action. Compassion and charity are the heart-language of Christian life. True New Year renewal begins where food is given to the hungry, where those who suffer are consoled, and where we stand alongside the neglected and the marginalized. When, as individuals, families, and communities, we nurture a culture of compassion and tenderness, the world becomes more humane and more deeply imbued with the presence of God.
One of the most essential values needed in today’s world is tolerance. Respecting differences of religion, culture, language, and opinion, and learning to live with mutual respect and dialogue, is the path to peace. We must not lightly ignore the growing intolerance among us that makes peaceful coexistence and fraternity impossible. In this time when intolerance and hatred are increasing, may the New Year grant us the courage to make new resolutions-choosing the path of tolerance and coexistence rather than mutual blame.
We have heard about the eagle-about its preparations to become new again by withdrawing into solitude and, despite great pain, plucking out its own feathers. Even if it is painful, we must carry out such processes of renewal within the Church, as well as in our family and social circles. Only then will we be able to become a new creation as Christ desires. To achieve that, what we must first do is become a new creation in Christ. Whoever is in Christ is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).
We should no longer shed tears remembering the old. We must no longer grumble by talking about old things. We should not pull out the old and dissect it, because the old has passed away. Do not remember or consider the things of the past. Behold, I am doing a new thing; do you not perceive it springing up? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert (Isaiah 43:18-19).
As we step into this new year, let us surrender our worries and uncertainties into the hands of the Almighty. Just as the eagle finds new strength to soar higher than before, may this season of renewal empower us to rise above our challenges with courage and grace. Let our hearts be filled with the light of hope, and may our lives become a living testimony to God’s transformative love.
Believing in this Word of God, let us welcome the New Year. Let us firmly believe that God will make everything possible even amidst impossibilities. To the dear readers of Syro-Malabar Vision, I lovingly wish you a New Year filled with goodness and divine blessings.
In this New Year, let us learn from our yesterdays and dream of our tomorrows. Let us kindle the lamp of hope in our hearts, extend the hands of compassion, and speak the language of tolerance. Thus, may the Kingdom of God grow more visibly in our hearts, in our families, in the Church, and in society. May Almighty God bless this New Year for all of you with peace, joy, and spiritual abundance.
Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thattil
