When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
Luke 2:39-40
God our loving Father, we are now about to complete another blessed year to meet another one more blessed; thank you for the year 2021, for its bountiful grace and lessons learned; for the gift of life, for the gift of family and friends still with us. Thank you also for all the pains and hurts specially brought by COVID-19 to many of us; at least, we have realized our weaknesses and most of all, the we love and needed to be loved.
And so, dear God, we pray like your Son Jesus Christ after being presented to the Temple, we may not only grow strong physically and materially in 2022 but most of all, that we may grow spiritually to be filled with your wisdom so we may grow deeper in your favor; teach us to be like your prophetess Anna to cultivate a deep prayer life, seeking and patiently waiting for your voice and directions to take in life this coming new year.
Let us heed St. John the Beloved's warning that "the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever" (1Jn.2:17). Amen.
