The Name for 2014!

Luke 2:16-21

16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.

Food for thought!

In today's gospel reading, we read that "As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart." She treasured the words that the disciples had just told her about the child Jesus. The shepherds  "repeated what they had been told about Jesus, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say."

What the shepherds did was to repeat what they had heard about Jesus. And as they did this, "everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say." Until this point, it is just amazement; people are astonished; they are wondering at what the shepherds are saying. However, the gospel adds some illuminating detail. It says " As for Mary". In other words, only Mary did something extra. All the others just got astonished; just wondered about what was being said. But Mary went beyond just astonishment by TREASURING ALL THESE THINGS AND PONDERING THEM IN HER HEART. Mary treasured and meditated on her Food for Thought!

And this was not the first time. Mary had lots of Food for Thought. Other moments were when she had the angelic message at annunciation (Lk 1:29), when Simeon spoke about the child Jesus (Lk 2:33), and when Jesus himself spoke to her in the temple (Lk 2:51).

The title for our daily "Food for Thought" comes from Mary. What we want to achieve is being another Mary, that hears what is said about Jesus and reflects about it. This is what Jesus warned us, "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatchers away what has been sown in his heart." (Matthew 13:19).

“The shepherds went back to their flocks.” (Lk 2:20)

Every good thing ends. The shepherds did not make the glorious moment at the feet of Jesus an excuse for neglecting their humble duties. They went back to business. The same with us, the New Year is the last hurrah of the year, the culminating event in a holiday binge of eating, drinking and celebrating. It ends our party and partying. So, let’s get ready to return to our duties, praising God for his goodness.

“He was named Jesus!” (Lk 2:21)

When the new born child was eight days old (counting from December 25 to January 8 are eight days), he was named Jesus. On this day, the day we begin our new year, the new baby was named Jesus. This is not a coincidence; it is providence. Divine providence gives us “Jesus” to begin with the new year. Why? According to English and German folklore, the first person you encounter in a new year — and the nature of this encounter — sets the tone for the rest of the year. So, let's meet Jesus first, to set tone for the rest of the year. And as Brad Paisely said "Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one"

Besides, most people, especially adults, create new goals and set resolutions for the new year. Only to discover that by end of January, or we have forgotten them or have broken them already. Why do we fail to stick to our resolutions? Why do we fail, despite good intentions? The reason is because we set To Do goals instead of To Be goals. We forget that doing comes from being, and not the opposite. What we do is because of what we are; if we change what we are, we change what we do. Before we effect any change in our personal lives, our marriage, our health, our workplace, our finances, we have to change in ourselves. The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expect different results. If you do what you have always done, you’ll get what you always got.

Instead of creating to do goals, get a single word that can effect and affect change in you. No more goals. No more resolutions. Just one word, powerful enough to motivate and influence all your doing in 2014. This one word is “Jesus”. This is why we are given this name on 1st of January. I hope you will remember St. Paul’s recommendation: “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col. 3:17). What you can’t dare do in Jesus’ name, don’t do it. In other words, whatever you can do in the name of Jesus is good and doable; what you can’t do in His name, is bad and don’t do it. For He is Lord both now and forever, AMEN.