Moving Forward with Grace

Happy Mama Mary Day 💙💙💙 Happy Eighth Day of Christmas 💚❤️🎄 Happy New Year

My prayer for you this year is that you are filled with the Grace of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Here is a beautiful blessing in today's First Reading from the Book of Numbers 6:22-27. Please receive this blessing and pay it forward today!

The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!

Today is officially The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, and The Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord. This is a day to honor and reacquaint ourselves with the Blessed Mother. What a beautiful way to begin a new year!

💙 Mary is the Mother of God ~ She gave birth to Him who created her.

💙 Mary is Theotokos ~ Mary is the God-bearer, mother of the eternal Son of God.

💙 Mary is the Model of Obedient Trusting in Faith ~ She said Yes, agreeing to be the handmaid of the Lord and offering herself as the vessel through which the Lord entered the world.

💙 Mary is our Great Intercessor ~ She presents our needs to her Son Jesus and leads us to Him.

💙 Mary is our Mother ~ She shows us how to be filled with Grace as we live in this world, so that we prepare for Eternal Life. She teaches us to carry God, to allow Him to be born in us, to be obedient to His will, to trust that He is with us and guiding us, to point the way to Jesus, and to lead others to Him by the way we live our lives.

The Gospel Reading for today from Luke 2:16-21 shows Mary and Joseph's great obedience to God's plan. They named Him Jesus. Say His name as a sweet and powerful prayer.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Throughout Advent and Christmas we have been watching God's plan for our Salvation unfold as the prophecies were fulfilled. Dwell in that great miracle throughout this day. Let it fill you with awe and wonder and gratitude.

May we move forward into this new year covered in Our Lady's Mantle of Grace. Under the care and protection of Mary's Mantle, we are on our way to Jesus. Her way is always gentle, and we grow to be more gentle with her Grace.

May we move forward without the baggage from the past. Write down the events that were bad, sad, frightening, challenging, disheartening, ugly, angry, spiteful, worrisome, and troublesome. Those things are too heavy to carry into 2026. Fold that list and put it away. Their time is done. It's time to replace them with something healthy and hopeful. We can't change what was, but we can decide how we will handle what is to come. Will we live on our own accord, or allow the Lord to take the lead and follow His plan?

A friend of mine shared this bit of wisdom recently. Although our decision to follow Jesus takes us along a road that ultimately leads to Eternal Happiness, that road is not smooth, and it is not always paved. Following His plan requires a great stepping out in Faith. It is important to have a plan in place for ourselves so that our inner peace is not disturbed by all of the worldly influences.

May we move forward with gentle grace and positive presence in this new year, not with thunderous opposition and coercion. Be the one in the room that people are drawn to because you radiate joy, safety, and openness. Mary listened, pondered, and held both the good things and difficult pieces in her heart. She didn't run around freaking out and telling everybody. She wouldn't have blasted it across social media if it had existed in her day.

May we move forward with the Grace of generosity. Generosity begets generosity. When you become aware of someone's need, ask the Lord how to help them and do what He tells you. It feels a little scary to give big. Give it a try. If the gift feels like too much, do it anyway, trusting in the Lord's care. When He calls us to a difficult task, He will see us through it. That is the very definition of Faith. Watch what He can do when we respond more generously. As Pope Leo XIV said on Christmas morning, "When the fragility of others penetrates our hearts, when their pain shatters our rigid certainties, then peace has already begun." Peace for the recipient and the giver.

I have seen it take root and blossom in my own life. It all began years ago, when I sold my son's car to a stranger for parts. I was told it was beyond repair. I hoped to get a little money out of it to go towards another car. This man, whom I had never met before, paid me $500, then surprised us by repairing it and gifting it back to us! I had never been the recipient of such humble generosity. He refused to take back the $500. I felt I had nothing to offer in return except my prayers for him.

I began asking the Lord to make me a generous giver. It started on a much smaller scale than the gift of a car. One day, a friend commented on my beautiful new necklace. My first thought was to give it to her even though I had only worn it a few times. She was not a person in need; she had a successful, thriving career. But something (the Holy Spirit) nudged me to give it to this lady, so I took it off and put it around her neck. She was quite surprised and so happy! She hesitated, but I insisted and wanted nothing in return. It made me so happy! Thinking of the joy on her face still makes me smile. Since then, I have tried to be obedient to those Holy Spirit prompts to be generous, and sometimes I was given the Grace to respond generously despite my fear and hesitation. It usually requires a shift in my plan, but trimming my storehouse to share with someone else leaves me greatly blessed. True generosity teaches us to be more loving, humble, and patient.

May we move forward with Grace by making room for a new, better year ahead.

Dear 2026 ~ I wish you to be a year filled with people who:

…listen empathetically rather than responding authoritatively

…walk beside others rather than judging and correcting

…follow respectfully rather than complaining and controlling

…respond thoughtfully rather than reacting spontaneously

…are satisfied with enough rather than overindulging

…live with less and share more

…step away softly when angers are raging

…stay focused and calm to help bring positive change

…forgive others even without an apology

…admit wrongdoing, seek forgiveness, and do better

…seek and welcome joy daily

…speak honestly and seek the truth

…always turn to God, the One who loves us unconditionally

Here's a New Year's Invitation that will help us move forward with Grace. Will you join me?

1. Write a list of traits you hope people will remember about you, and work on multiplying those, rather than focusing on growing wealth and things.
   

2. Write a list of habits you hope others will forget about you, and work on diminishing those, rather than focusing on others' shortcomings.

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I wish you all:

Wisdom Peace Joy Happiness Perseverance Light Promise Clarity Strength Faith Gentleness Rest Trust Truth Laughter Hope Compassion Curiosity Kindness Growth Humility Presence Chances Movement Freshness Life Friendship Love Beginnings Quiet Beauty Holiness Courage Reconciliation Healing Generosity Fun Enough Patience Respect

and GRACE

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Mary, Mother of God, pray for us 💙💙💙

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*NOTE: If you are reading this on your phone, you won't see the pretty shape of the list of words above. The crooked list that shows on your phone isn't the same. 🤣