💖 HOMILY - JANUARY 1 💖

First Reading - Numbers 6:22-27

Second Reading - Galatians 4:4-7 

Gospel - Luke 2:16-21

The beginning of a new year often awakens mixed emotions. There is hope for what lies ahead, but also awareness of what remains uncertain or unfinished. We step forward carrying gratitude, fears, expectations, and questions. Today’s readings meet us right there and offer a quiet but powerful assurance: we do not begin this new season alone or unclaimed. We begin it under God’s blessing, within God’s family, and in the presence of God-with-us.

The First Reading from Numbers gives us one of the most tender texts in Scripture. God instructs Moses to bless the people with words of light, peace, and protection. This blessing is not a wish; it is a declaration of relationship. God turns his face toward the people. God’s name is placed upon them. Before they achieve anything, before they succeed or fail, they are already claimed. This reminds us that our lives are not defined first by effort, but by grace. We move forward not trying to earn God’s favor, but living from it.

The Second Reading from Galatians deepens this promise. Paul tells us that, in the fullness of time, God sent his Son so that we might receive adoption. We are not servants living in fear, but sons and daughters living in trust. This changes everything. If God is Father, then our lives are not accidents, our prayers are not interruptions, and our struggles are not ignored. Even when we feel small or uncertain, our identity remains secure. We belong.

The Gospel from Luke shows this belonging in a concrete and humble way. The shepherds find the child Jesus lying in a manger. There is no display of power, only closeness. Mary treasures these events in her heart, teaching us how to begin the year well: not with noise or control, but with reflection and trust. The child receives his name, Jesus, and through that name God’s saving intention is revealed. God enters our time, our vulnerability, and our ordinary days.

Dear friends, whatever this year holds, we live beneath God’s blessing. Whatever challenges await us, we face them as children, not as orphans. Whatever joys come our way, we receive them with gratitude, knowing that God is present within them.

When anxiety rises, remember that God’s face is turned toward you. When fear whispers that you are alone, remember that you have been adopted. When life feels overwhelming, remember that God chose to dwell in smallness, silence, and simplicity.

The invitation today is not to predict the future, but to trust the One who holds it. Let this year be shaped not by fear of what may come, but by confidence in who walks with you. Begin each day knowing you are blessed, you belong, and you are loved.

This is how we step into the new year: marked by God’s name, held by God’s grace, and guided by the quiet presence of Emmanuel.