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OCALA January 2, 2005 The New Year; Another Opportunity Another New Year and another opportunity has dawned. All of us are cognizant of this, and it is very normal, that we do give extra thought to the new time-frame. We all perhaps made the customary New Year's resolutions, only to have them so short-lived. To this, I think there could only be one answer, and that was spoken by the Lord: "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41. Our intentions may be honorable, but we so easily capitulate to the espoused routine of our life, simply because, we do not make a conscientious effort to spiritually gird ourselves, to follow more faithfully the Christian course, which gives us the guarantee of granting us the fulfillment we all desire. We often hear people saying, that it sometimes is so difficult to do the right thing; especially in this hard-core materialistic world, where the competition is so strong! Granted. Yes, it may be difficult, but not impossible. The Lord, as we know, made no sugar-coated promises. Very emphatically He stated that, "the gate is narrow, which leads unto life, whereas the gate is wide and the way is broad, which leads unto destruction!" Matthew 7:13-14. One of the main problems in our life as Christians today is, that we do not give equal time to the needs of our soul. We often take extra pain to take care of our physical needs. But what about the spiritual? Well, we just don't think very often in this vein. There was never a time though, as the present, when the need for God in our lives is so very important. What better time could there be, than the first day o€ the New Year, to give God the highest priority -- to invoke Him in prayer -- to ask for strength, not only to carry on, but to live a life of meaning and significance. January 1st, grants us another opportunity to revamp our life, as it were; to spiritually uplift ourselves, by praising and glorifying God's Name; by praying that He blesses us, as well as the whole world, so that people would learn to live in peace and harmony. But, as we know, this doesn't happen for the many. Without question, the swift current of materialism, and that of personal enjoyment takes its toll. We just celebrated Christmas. Have you noticed, that as every year passes on, we see fewer Christmas oriented programs, and less Christmas music is heard. The long established Nativity scenes, especially on public grounds are rapidly disappearing. To be sure, Santa Claus has taken over, because most people have become absorbed in the exchange of Christmas gifts. In the commercial world, it would be better to substitute the title Christmas with Santa Claus Day. In Greece the exchanging of gifts takes place on January 1st, St. Basil's Day and Christmas is dedicated to what it truly is; the Birth of our Lord and Saviour, Who came to brings us back into Heaven. Many Christians must emerge from their routine Christianity. They are appropriately described by St. Paul in Romans 10:2 as "having a zeal for God, but without any true knowledge or foundation." God seems to take a back seat! We just seem to take plain comfort that God is there, when we really need Him. We truly are not involved with Him, and most assuredly, do not live up to the standard of St. Paul, who said: "I live; yet not I, but it is Christ, who lives within me." Galatians 2:20. St. Paul, exemplifying his whole life through his uniquely dedicated mission, gave substance to his phrase: "I live; yet not I, but it is Christ, who lives within me!" Who is the person that does not seek opportunities in life? Indeed, there are many opportunities in life. But I ask you, is there a greater opportunity, than the one of being united with Christ our Lord? In continuance, I ask you, is not the New Year another opportunity for all people, young and elderly alike? To be sure, New Year's day is a great opportunity to regain our soul. We all seek happiness in life. But, happiness does not mean the same thing to all people. People have to come to grip with themselves, and at some time take life more seriously. When this happens, they will be convinced, that happiness does not emit from the externals, -- from things that we may acquire. Happiness has its roots from deep within our soul. It has to source from the soul. Proof of this is, that when we mature, and approach the riper years in life, we come to the realization, and believe, -- that the things, which seemed so important during our younger years, are now so incidental and so unimportant. Also, the realization comes that the things we took for granted, and to which we didn't give very much importance, these are the things, that really count, and finally they become very precious to us. I remember the title of a popular song in the 40's, "The Best Things in Life are Free!" Just think of it. The tangibles might bring momentary happiness, but the intangibles give us true and lasting happiness. We can never be truly happy, unless we free ourselves from the belief, that the material things of themselves will bring the desired happiness. The late President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in one of his Christmas Messages, re-iterated the words of President Washington when he said: "that our Country long ago had rejected the exclusive dependency on materialistic values!' However, I think that this noble phrase, so idealistic, and of course so applicable and achievable, has long been covered over by the ashes of sheer materialism in our present world, and as a result, spiritual fulfillment and true happiness have suffered at the expense of the tempo, which our society has set. Truly -- it is so difficult to comprehend -- why so many people are so willing to follow anybody or anything! Some, even become so blindly devoted to certain leaders, that they remind me of a servant in days of old. When his master was wounded in battle, he commanded his servant to go ahead of him, and tell the dead that he was soon to arrive. The blindly devoted servant pierces his heart with a dagger, believing that he would be able to execute the command of his master. Our Lord Jesus does not command us. But, He is forever reaching out and inviting us to follow Him. He asks us to unburden our heavy hearts from the load, which we are carrying, -- to deny our old selves -to pick up our cross and follow Him. When we are free from the heavy burden of our sins and faults, the Lord assures us, that He will give us the strength and the power to overcome life's difficulties. When we have the Lord with us, and we truly believe this, to be sure, no earthly burden will ever be too heavy for us to bear. That is the reason, that we must become more conscious of the great privilege we have, to be known as Christians, and to believe, that to grow in Christ, requires a steady and systematic process. Flowers do not bloom in a day, nor do the fruit of the trees ripen in a week. In like manner, step by step, we can choose to ascend the steps on the ladder of Christian perfection, so as to sense the desired happiness and fulfillment. Beloved Friends: Christians must finally awaken from their spiritual lethargy, whether it be in the home, at work, in the Community or the Church. There is a great opportunity offered to all on New Year's Day. Will we grasp this opportunity and give our faith real substance? The choice is ours. When we make the right decision, then we can be in the position of St. Paul, who made the following declaration of his faith, when he said: "For I am convinced, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor the present, nor the future, nor evil forces above or beneath, nor anything in creation shall be able to separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ our Lord." Amen. |
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