HAPPY NEW YEAR

We begin our New Year 2010 by celebrating the feast of Mary, the Mother of God. I can’t imagine a better way to begin the New Year. The greatness of Mary was that she brought up Jesus as the Son of God, she accompanied him all the way up to Calvary, and she held together the frightened disciples and prepared them for the day of Pentecost. Mary would do the same to anyone who entrusted his/her life to her care.

On this first day of the New Year, I would like to invite your attention to two key words from the gospel reading. The first word is HASTE. “The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem…” The word haste appears at different places in the Bible. For example, after the annunciation Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah….” What does it mean? What is its significance? When they received their mission, they did not delay or hesitate or show reluctance. They acted upon it immediately. We are being created with a mission. God has a mission to accomplish with our help. Life becomes challenging, purposeful and joyful when we find our specific mission. According to Gandhi, two things are important for a meaningful existence: hope and Commitment. We need something to hope for and we need something to commit to. We find these when we find our mission. What is my goal this year?

The second phrase is REFLECTION. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Mary reflected on everything in the light of the scripture. That gave meaning and insights to her daily life events. Life without reflection is deemed to be a failure. Reflective or contemplative life serves two purposes. First of all, it is a tool for evaluation. Secondly, it brings forth deeper meaning and implication of a particular event. People who are carried away by emotional impulses will complicate even simple things.

A person who is emotionally charged cannot make rational and, much less, practical decisions, because emotions blind our thinking. Emotional Quotient (EQ) is as important as an Intelligent Quotient (IQ). Take time before speaking or acting. Between the Stimulus and the Response (S < >R) there is a time gap. This time gap is redemptive. Make good use of it. A match stick has a head on it, but no brains. Hence when there is friction, it burns. We not only have heads but brains too. One must make use of both.

Let us begin the New Year 2010 with a clear vision and clarity of purpose. Instead of doing things nonstop, let us take times to enjoy, relate and appreciate what we are doing.

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