H.E. MGR. GIUSEPPE'S NEW YEAR MESSAGE
We have just recently turned a page of our calendars, after having celebrated with solemnity Christmas, the anniversary of the birth of Our Saviour. There is an air of freshness, of new beginning, as we look with tenderness at the Infant Jesus in the arms of His Mother, and as we enter into a new year, indeed a new millennium.
The virtue of faith enables us to believe in the astounding mystery of God who has chosen to become one of us, in order to ultimately make us one with Him. The virtue of charity is our response to such God who loves us so much.
I think, however, that at this time special place must be given in our prayerful reflections to the virtue of hope. Unfortunately we seldom, if ever, think or speak of what Christian hope really is. For most people, hope is simply "wishful thinking", sort of a "chance" that "may be" we can attain a success or escaping some danger. But the virtue of hope is radically different. There is no "may be" in Christian hope, for it is the certainty, not simply the likelihood, that God is forever faithful to His promises. On God's part there are no "ifs" or "maybes". Throughout the whole history of mankind God has never changed loving us, devising, as it were ever new ways to convince us that "His love is everlasting", up to including the incarnation of His Son and the outpouring of His Holy Spirit.
A person of hope is one who truly believes this fundamental truth and, for this reason, is capable of rising above all setbacks and difficulties, because he relies certainly not on his own strength, but rather on the unshakable strength of God's faithful promise. Hope takes the long view and thus becomes an attitude of unconditional trust, whereby one accepts gladly not only the commandments of the Lord, but also the events and circumstances of one's life - successes and setbacks alike - with the firm conviction that through them and over them God is lovingly molding each person into the likeness of Jesus His Son and our brother.
Hope is joyful, for it is the anticipation of the final happy outcome. Surely each one feels at times the heavy burden of this earthly pilgrimage, but, as we repeat at every celebration of the Eucharist: "We wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ".
With these thoughts I wish to all of you a happy New Year. We do realistically expect that along with many joyful things we shall also encounter a good share of difficulties, but we are and must be fundamentally optimistic: the loving Lord is always near, His promises forever faithful, His victory and glory are for us to share.
Monsignor Giuseppe De Andrea
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