On this first day of January 2023, let’s turn things around and start the day not with an opening prayer, but rather, with a benediction. Often called Aaron’s Blessing, these four lines from the Book of Numbers, written as a poem, may be one of the most powerful blessings in the Bible, one all of us have heard many times at the end of Mass.

The LORD bless you and keep you!  
The LORD let his face shine upon you,  
and be gracious to you!  
The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!

To Christians, these four lines are so reassuring and filled with deep hope and promise. Just imagine that our Lord is there to watch over and keep each of us safe each moment of our lives. That he is looking down on us and sharing his infinite grace with us. And, that the Lord is there to give us the peace we all seek and so desperately need.

What a truly wonderful gift we have received. What more could we ask from our God as we journey together into this new year?

Perhaps the more pressing question is, what do we do with this wonderful gift? Do we smugly go about our daily routines knowing the Lord is watching out for us? Or, do we realize that gifts of this magnitude are meant to be shared, and that we should use this wonderful gift to energize our lives? Perhaps, with courage and conviction, we should go out and share the Lord’s gift to us with others.

If we are molded in God’s image, should we not strive to emulate God in how we comport ourselves? What a better world it would be if we thought of and treated our family, coworkers, neighbors and even strangers the way God does us.

…If we were to let our faces shine upon those in need and let them know we were there for them, willing to serve and assist them.

…If we were kind and gracious to all and shared our peace with each of them, so they might know that the world is not filled with the wicked people and acts of brutality that dominate our news.

…If we shared the same compassion and forgiveness that God pours down upon us in an unending stream, on those who have wronged us.

This year, in addition to the usual exercise more, lose some weight, learn a new language resolutions, let’s resolve to make one to be more conscious about sharing the infinite blessings we receive from God with everyone we come in contact with.

Happy New Year!