Happy New Year and a Blessed Feast of the Epiphany! As we start 2020, many of us are taking the time to evaluate our lives and set goals for how we wish to change throughout this new year. We might make resolutions on how we’re going to live 2020 different than we have 2019 and before. Perhaps we’re setting goals for physical fitness or healthy eating. Maybe we’re giving up an unhealthy habit or behavior. We might even try changing how we treat others and the respect we show to those around us.
While we might not always keep our New Year’s resolutions, just the action of evaluating our lives and desiring some change to make us better is laudable. When we were baptized, we received the great gift of the Holy Spirit, who remains with us throughout the rest of our lives. One of the constant calls of the Holy Spirit is to conversion of heart, turning back to God and away from anything that keeps us from Him. The desire at New Year’s to undertake resolutions for change can be a subconscious recognition of that call for conversion, and is an opportunity to answer that call.
It’s appropriate that the Feast of the Epiphany comes during the time that we are undertaking these resolutions. While Christmas celebrates the birth of Our Lord, Epiphany commemorates the revealing of the birth of Christ to the world. We see this through the Three Wise Men following the star to Him.
Like the star shining in the sky leading them to the Christ child, Our Lord is the Light of the Word come into the world. His light is shining in our lives, showing us the way to Him. As we seek to set our New Year’s goals, perhaps we can turn towards the Light of Christ by making spiritual growth one of our resolutions. This is a great time to step up our spiritual practices, especially around silent prayer and study of the Scriptures and Church teachings.
As we begin 2020, now is a good time to welcome the Light of the World into our lives, and allow that light to lead us closer to God and each other.
