The Year 2020 was one of the unforgettable years of this century, and it has come to an end, though the memories are fresh in our minds. Most of us are thrilled to bid farewell to this unexpected year. The year 2020 brought good news and bad news, happiness and sorrows, loss and gain, illness and wellness, above all the pandemic, Covid-19. This pandemic has shaken the whole world, and we have been experiencing the shock of it. For a short time, this made the world stand still, making us experience loss and pain both personally and globally. One of the most significant positive impacts of this deadly virus on humanity is that it has changed our perspectives on human lives. It has crushed the false image of our generation, making us pause and look at our lives, especially our route map, and reroute our journey when and where needed. It made us think about the reality of human mortality and the importance of humanity. It brought family members together and made relationships stronger and better. Thus, the year 2020, with its challenges and new lessons, formally came to its closure with Christmas and the year-end celebrations.
“Every new year comes with an invitation for introspection leading to modifications of our behaviors, attitudes, actions, views, and perspectives.“
Now, we are in the new year 2021with renewed resolutions and decisions. We have made our plans, projects, and resolutions at least in some rudimentary form. We are hopeful that the year 2021will be different from the previous year. We have made a mile marker in our history regarding the Corona Virus by developing a Vaccine record time. This Vaccine is the result of thousands of hard-working, dedicated experts, and the prayers of millions of simple people across the globe. We always have reason to thank the scientists and experts for their dedication and commitment to this noble cause and bend our knees in an attitude of gratitude to God for his blessings upon us!
Every day of our lives brings new challenges, new experiences, and new memories, both positive and negative; so also, every new year. Every new year comes with an invitation for introspection leading to modifications of our behaviors, attitudes, actions, views, and perspectives. These changes lead us to transform our lives, where we become anew in the New Year. After every 365 days, a new year comes into our history. We love it, live it, and celebrate it. But the question remains, are we becoming anew every new year? Every new year comes with an invitation for introspection. If we don’t introspect and make modifications, we continue to remain in the old year with the old attitudes of pain and loss, grief and sadness, hurt and wounds. Sometimes, some of us may have imprisoned ourselves intentionally or unintentionally in our own past and its hurtful memories. If we don’t introspect, we may end up being where we began our journey years ago. Then, our lives will become as though we are chasing our own tails. We are not meant to be where we were, but we are meant to move on with new views and perspectives as we are a pilgrim, people. We are challenged to move on every day in our attitudes and perspectives though we may live under the same roof in the same place. It is time to wake up and hit our reset button, and move on with life. It is time to respond to our invitation to introspection and become anew and live every day anew. There is a Phoenix in each of us that rises from the ashes of its past and soar high to the heights of the future. But there is no rising before dying, and there is no ascending before descending. Every new year brings new hopes and opportunities that are new; unless and until we are made anew every day, we may not be able to enjoy the blessings of the new year in its fullness.
Fr. Tomy Puliyan, MSFS
“ Happy New Year 2021!”