Father Romeo Salinas is Vocations Director for the Diocese of
Corpus Christi.
Like the Magi, we should follow the light of Christ, and give that light to others through our love for our family and for each other. And, like the Magi, we must return home, after our encounter with Jesus at Christmas, through a different route. We take a new route spiritually by loving God with all our heart, mind and soul. We want to grow in the virtues of patience, charity and love. We want to strive always to be closer to God.
We must love our neighbors as we love ourselves, and we must be Christ to others in need. “Sweet Jesus, make us your eyes, ears, hands and voice in a world which hungers for love and mercy (Prayer to the Sacred Heart).” We should also pray for our enemies. We seek holiness by forgiving hurts and harm done to us. We do not accept or condone the inappropriate behavior, but we pray for the conversion of our enemies, even those attacking our families. This ability to forgive others brings us special graces from God. We must also pray for forgiveness within our families, because forgiveness brings family unity.
Let us also imitate the great love of St. Joseph for Jesus and Mary. His readiness and willingness to follow God’s will; his purity of heart; and his obedience as a faithful servant of God set a wonderful example for husbands and fathers to follow.
Let us prepare our homes for the new year as sanctuaries of peace, love and family life. Home blessings; the presence of blessed objects and medals; and the display of a blessed picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary in our homes bring blessings and establish an atmosphere that encourages prayer and gratitude to God and to our Blessed Mother.
Let us turn to the saints for examples of holiness and lives well lived. Many experienced sorrows, great conflicts, hardships and illness. They were human, just as we are, but their love for God and their burning desire to be close to him and emulate him gave them the strength to overcome difficulties and to accept God’s will for them. We must learn to do the same.
Not only must we surrender ourselves totally to God, we must also surrender ourselves totally to his Blessed Mother. Jesus gave us Mary as our mother, as he said to John at the foot of the cross, and Mary leads us to Jesus. “Do what he says,” she said to the servants at the wedding at Cana; she says the same to us today. Our gift to the Virgin Mary when we get to heaven is our holiness. We must remember this new year to pray our rosaries, for this daily act of love results in miracles that will happen in our families and in the world. Mary loves us with an immeasurable love. We need to pray to understand her love for us. She is the perfect model of prayer, the perfect disciple of Jesus and the perfect example of motherhood. Mary, walk with us, guide us, protect us, intercede for us and bring us ever closer to Jesus.
Pray now for this new year and for the rest of our lives. Life is fleeting; the spring wildflowers are wilted by the summer sun and die by the winter’s cold rains. Our lives, too, are fleeting. Let us begin preparing now to grow in holiness and spirituality. All the peace and joy we seek lies in Jesus.
We must strive daily to help our children grow in Godliness; to honor and respect every family member, young or old; to receive the great graces that come from confession, communion and attendance at Mass; to pray that our lives and prayers are pleasing to God; and to pray for God to enter our hearts and fill us with a desire for heaven and eternity. This is a vocation we all share.