Peace and Blessings

 

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As we enter a new year, St. Francis of Assisi’s life offers a profound framework for renewal, centered on his famous exhortation: "Let us begin, brothers, to serve the Lord God, for up until now we have done little or nothing." This reflection reminds us that the New Year is not merely a chronological change, but a spiritual invitation to "begin again" with humility. By stripping away the clutter of past failures and material distractions, we can embrace a Franciscan simplicity that makes room for grace, focusing first on what is necessary and then on what is possible, until we find ourselves achieving what once seemed impossible.

Central to this journey is Francis’s radical hope, which was not rooted in his own strength but in an unwavering, childlike confidence in God’s providence. He viewed the future not with anxiety, but with the joyful expectation that the same "Most High" who created the sun and stars would provide for every need. For 2025, this hopeful perspective invites us to trust that even in times of darkness, we can be "instruments of peace," confident that sowing love and pardon will invariably lead to a harvest of light.

This Franciscan hope is a "living hope" that sees the New Year as an unfolding canvas of divine presence. Francis believed that every creature and every moment was a mirror of the Creator’s goodness, allowing him to face the unknown with "perfect joy." By adopting his spirit of radical trust, we can approach the coming year with a heart set free from fear, resolving to walk through the world with a "gentle and humble spirit" that transforms every encounter into a prayer of thanksgiving.

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