Kia tau te rangimārie ki a koutou
We are already as almost a full month into the New Year. Happy New Year to you all and all good wishes and blessings for this year ahead.
The year began in a very unusual way with the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict on New Year’s Eve. It was quite unique to see the current Pope presiding at the Requiem Nass for another Pope, his predecessor. Thank you for your prayer for Pope Benedict and thank you to all those who were able to come to the Mass for him at St Teresa’s Pro Cathedral on 4th January.
I said in my homily at the Mass for Pope Benedict that one of the things I believe Pope Benedict will be remembered for, apart from his courageous step to resign from the papacy, are some of the words he used at his first Mass as Pope. He said: “Each of us is the result of a thought of God, each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary. There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the gospel, by the encounter with Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than to know him, and to speak with others of our friendship with Him.”
Take time this year to reflect on and pray with these words, imagine God thinking of creating you, God willing you into existence, God loving us into existence, then think of these words “each of us is necessary.” Stop and think about how, when and where you are necessary, who you are necessary for, who needs you. If we do think and act along these lines then we will be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ. That becomes a gift to us and to others. When we know that we are necessary for others, through acts of love and kindness, through forgiveness and thoughtfulness, or simply by being present to others, we find a new sense of purpose, and we become grateful.
Every day this year, know that:
You are the result of a thought of God.
You are willed.
You are loved.
You are necessary.
I hope and pray that this year is one of abundant blessings, that you are surprised by the gospel and you continually encounter Christ.
Nāku noa. Nā
John