Luke 2:22-40; Galatians 4:4-7; Isaiah 61:1-62:3

Just a few hours ago, people around the world were celebrating the beginning of a new year. A New Year is considered a new beginning, a fresh start, another opportunity to do things better, to do things we could not do the year before. And regardless of creed, social status, or race, people around the world received 2023 with hope, hope that everything will be better, and we would be able to do those things we have planned.

A good beginning leads to a good end, the proverbial saying says. And to have a good beginning people around de world received 2023 with different traditions. Here in the USA, people received the New Year kissing another person, by doing so, they want to guarantee that love will be part of their lives the whole year. In Spain, they received the New Year eating 12 grapes, one for each month so they can have prosperity the whole year. In Italy, for the same reason, they received the new year eating Lentils. In Latin America, people received the new year with luggage at the door hoping they will travel, and many Christians around the world received the new year praying and singing in their churches for the same reason.

As I said before all these traditions and many others have one purpose: to have a good beginning and therefore, a good rest of the year. New beginning and hope go hand in hand when a New Year begins.

The Gospel we read gives us some advice to begin the new year. The gospel invites us to praise and thank God, to be attentive and perseverant. Invites us to begin our new year recognizing God’s acting and to share with others what He is doing. It does it through the two witnesses who saw the fulfilment of the prophesy. Through those who saw and carried the One who brings salvation, Anna, and Simeon. They both recognized the long-expected Savior in the baby Mary and Joseph were presenting in the Temple. To them was revealed by the Holy Spirit that this baby was Israel’s Redemption and they just had to share with others what they knew about the child-Messiah.

What about if this new year 2023, we can include in our resolutions to follow their example of being attentive and obedient to God’s voice? Notice that Luke says that Simeon “moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required Simeon took the baby in his arms.” God was at work bringing his Messiah to the temple as a baby and he invited Simeon to go and see what he was doing.

This new year let us allow the Holy Spirit to move our life, so we can recognize Jesus when we see him, regardless of how He comes to us. Anna and Simeon recognized the Messiah when they saw the Baby Jesus. However, most people in those times were expecting the Messiah as a royal military leader who wouldoverthrow the Romans and be honored as king; Moved by the spirit they saw what others could not.

This new year let us be expectant because Jesus can come to us in different shapes and forms. Remember Matthew 25:37-40, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?” “The King will reply, -says Matthew- ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” You see, to the righteous, Jesus came as hungry and thirsty; He came as a stranger and as someone needing clothes, and moved by the spirit they helped, and by doing so, they helped Jesus.

Anna and Simeon after recognizing Jesus, they did the natural thing to do. They worshipped Him, as the Wise Men and the shepherds did before. Simeon worships Jesus because he realized who the Baby was, and Anna did the same. And part of that worshipping was telling everyone the good news about Him. In verse 32, Simeon recognized that the baby Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior of God’s people, was not just for Israel. He came to save the world. Again Simeon, moved by the Holy Spirit, sees what others could not, that Jesus’ salvation is for all; Jesus is light and salvation for non-Jewish people too.

 Brothers and sisters, great things happen when we allow the Holy Spirit to move, to guide our lives. That is why it is important to begin 2023 praying for that to happen.  Let us open our lives to the Holy Spirit, let us be attentive to God’s voice, let us ask God to see him and recognize him when he comes to us.

I invite you to join me in the following prayer:

Our Father and our God, at the beginning of a New Year we confess our need of Your presence and guidance as we face 2023.

Each of us have hopes and expectations as well as challenges for the year that is ahead. May we face them with your strength and your wisdom and most of all may we face them with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

During this new year, open our spiritual eyes to see what you are doing in our midst and to recognize you when you come to us.

When hard days come -because they will come- remind us of who we are and whom we are.

This new year, help us to be peacemakers, bearers of good news, faithful workers of your vineyard, promoters of your kingdom and workers who do not need to be ashamed.

Today, the first day of 2023 help us to surrender anything that stands between you and us. Between your will and ours.

Lord, make us an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

Amen.