Focus on the Present

On this New Year’s Eve, as I look back over the past year, I see it as a closed book. It is now all behind me, all the ups and down, all the moments of joy and times of sadness. I can’t change what has happened. I now look forward to a New Year with all its possibilities and opportunities — to start new things and for me to begin again and turn over a new leaf. It is also a time of apprehension, as I don’t know what could happen or might befall me personally, and I can’t tell what will happen in those part of the world where there is violence, conflict and despair.

St Augustine suggests that there is a way of being. He talks about the power of the present moment: “It is in this fleeting sliver of time (the hac hora, the ‘right now’ of time) that we can truly act, truly choose, and ultimately shape our own future.” On New Year’s Eve, as the weight of the past and the uncertainty of the future press upon us, Augustine’s message holds significant meaning.

In our prayer, let us now focus on the present, as we acknowledge the lessons of the past and step into the future, with open eyes and open hearts. The Spirit is given to us; the Spirit is with us and gives us the wisdom carry out the work God has mapped out for us.

In this present moment to sit with Mary: the Mother of God, the woman who listened and treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. Let her help and guide you to listen, and ponder in your heart all that God wishes to show you, now, at this moment.

God of all time, help us enter the New Year quietly,
thoughtful of who we are to ourselves and to others,
mindful that our steps make an impact
and our words carry power.
May we walk gently.
May we speak only after we have listened well.
Creator of all life,
help us enter the New Year reverently,
aware that you have endowed
every creature and plant, every person and habitat
with beauty and purpose.
May we regard the world with tenderness.
May we honour rather than destroy.
Lover of all souls,
help us enter the New Year joyfully,
willing to laugh and dance and dream,
remembering our many gifts with thanks
and looking forward to blessings yet to come.
May we welcome your lavish love.
In this new year, may the grace and peace of Christ bless us now and in the days ahead.

— Vinita Hampton Wright