WHAT LASTS FOREVER

WHAT lASTS foREVER

 

“Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever.” – 1 John 2:17

 

I met with friends I had not seen for a while and we went to have dinner at a new fresh prawn restaurant. You can imagine my excitement since prawns are my favourite food. Afterwards, we had coffee at a middle-of- nowhere place that my friend promised produced the best coffee in the city. Then we capped the night by going to a piano bar where we listened to wonderful live music. As they say, all good things come to an end. So that night ended too and we parted company with good memories in our hearts and our friendship sealed even more by the shared joy.

For those of us who find this year a great one, you probably wish 2009 will not end. But it will. And every year that will come. But even as this year ends, let’s allow its beautiful memories to cement us in our relationship with Jesus and with one another. Everything on earth will end. But the things of heaven will not. So as we say goodbye to this year, let’s keep what will last forever more deeply planted in our hearts. Joy Sosoban

 

REFLECTION:

Have I allowed anger, bitterness and hatred to fester in my heart instead of faith, hope and love?

 

Keep what will last forever in my heart, O Lord. Remove all that is not from You as we start a New Year.

 

 

WhAt is the centeR Of yOuR fAmily?

 

 

What happened during the so-called hidden years of Jesus? This question I hear many times. It has triggered a lot of legends and speculations St. Luke simply tells us in the last two sentences of today’s Gospel that the Holy Family returned to Nazareth where Jesus grew up and “became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him.” The next time we read about Jesus, He is already 12 years old, and then nothing more about Him is known until He went as an adult to the River Jordan where He was baptized by John the Baptist.

Yes, we would like to know what Jesus did during all these years but the Gospels are silent about it. Why? Because obviously Jesus grew up like any other boy and teenager in Nazareth.

Life in Israel was not easy. Mary must have gone every day to the well to fetch water and carried the jar home on her head. Joseph probably walked every day to Sepphoris where he worked. When Jesus grew up, He probably accompanied Joseph. On the Sabbath day they rested, went to the Synagogue and spent a day in prayer and praise of God. But something must have made this family different from all the others: at its center was Jesus, the Son of God. In spite of a harsh life, there was peace and harmony and love, an atmosphere of unity, tenderness, simple and holy happiness, God-centeredness.

Here we find the model of Christian family life. We know the slogan, ‘A family that prays together, stays together.’ When a family prays together, God is the center of this family, and thus the family is able to face trials, problems and difficulties without breaking up or breaking down, as the Holy Family survived difficulties and trials. Unfortunately, in many homes, the TV has become the center of the family. Rare now are the families that pray the Angelus and the Rosary together.

The day after tomorrow, a new year begins. Why not start it by making God again the center of your family? Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

 

Reflection Question:

What can I do in the new year to make my life more God-centered?

 

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, your life in Nazareth was not easy. But with God as center of your lives, you overcame all difficulties and reached your destination without losing direction. Help me to learn from you and to make my life more God-centered, more Christ-centered.

 

St. Anysia, Martyr, pray for us.