My friends, co-heirs, co-partners, fellow travelers…….Christ is with us, and we are filled with joy and hope.  As the Christmas season will soon conclude, today's readings invite us to reflect upon what has been revealed to us.......what is still being revealed to.......where our faith leads us to........and whom we might meet along our spiritual journey.  As we begin our travel through a new year, what are the gifts we bring along with us that symbolize the manifestation of God's love, and the message of salvation, as the sacred mystery unfolds?  As the year begins, what would you bring along with you to lay at the feet of Christ?

As I reflected on the readings, I realized that our love story as children of God is revealed to us today.  It is a narrative in which we are deeply loved, and it has been so since the beginning of time.  As we realize the power of this love, which is born and can be seen and felt, we can no longer say that we are alone or that no one loves us.  Today, we are invited to reflect on the revelation of God’s love for us and the unveiling of a promise in Christ Jesus.  As the magi let their faith lead them to where hope was born, they journeyed with great anticipation.  So, this year, let us begin our journey together from far-away places guided by the light of our faith, to discover that which matters most---that which renews us and brings us to new life.  As you journey along, share the good news revealed to you--- the revelation that Christ is with us. 

As the new year begins, I have had a renewed sense of hope and positivity, a renewed appreciation for human connection, life-giving moments, and a sense of purpose.  I feel over-joyed and willing to be led by the light of Christ to a destination that will surely be a revelation of God’s love, even when my faith wavers.  This new year, I am ready to discover manifestations of hope laying calmly in unexpected places, but what would that look like and feel like?  Would hope, as we expect it, be a familiar presence, or be a stranger?  It is hard to say since so many are still trying to find their way to a place of hope.  All I know is that when we follow the path illuminated by our faith, we will find hope, and hope, will know us by name.  My friends, will you join me in this new delight…...this renewed sense of excitement about life and what is to come?   Let us raise our eyes and look around, for the shadow of despair is being chased away by the new light, and the dark clouds are lifting----the light is here, the word has been revealed, and hope has come.  May God’s love manifest profoundly in each of our lives as the sacred mystery continues to be revealed to us.