NEW YEAR PRAYER AND NEW YEAR RESOLUTION

What will you pray for when 2006 slips into history and 2007 begins ?

When we lift our hearts and gaze heavenward in the New Year most people , all over the world, will think of the disasters, deaths and destruction that happened in 2006 and will pray that  God will  protect them in 2007.

Whenever I try to make sense of something painful, I remind myself of what Ronald Rollheiser once said. “God does not cause sufferings, but God can speak through them.” If God can speak through these disasters – tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, storms and floods – what will He tell us?

Every time a disaster happens, you will see crafty astrologers claiming that they predicted this long ago. We rightly dismiss these as hogwash. But there is a group of credible experts who predict what might happen. But sadly nobody pays any attention to them. When disaster hits nations or communities only then they realize something could have been done to prevent the destruction that has taken the precious lives of thousands of people. Many a time we come together to help each other in the name of God and there He speaks to us in a very loving and compassionate way.

Our world is warming ,  getting hotter and hotter and  we have this global challenge called climate change. Why is our world warming up? The reason is an accumulation of polluting gases in the atmosphere called  greenhouse gases. The most lethal of these gasses is carbon dioxide that stays in the air for at least a century. These gases trap solar energy at particular wavelengths close to the earth’s surface. This raises the temperature and weather systems; largely driven by heat in the atmosphere that change in unpredictable ways and to extreme levels.

All of this is so unpleasant to hear that some people simply do not want to hear about it. They dismiss it as exaggerated doomsday prophecies. If we don’t listen to what the scientists are saying,  we need to listen to what the disasters we have witnessed are telling us.

This is similar to what God would tell us. Disasters shout a message, while they slap us in the face. Scientists warn us. God calls us. He calls us because He cares for us. God calls us to care for this home, which He built for us. This planet is His – not ours. We will eventually vacate it and hand it over to other tenants that God will send - our children and grandchildren.

If we don’t hear God’s voice, we must try looking at children. When you look fondly at the joyful, innocent faces of your children or grandchildren, ask yourself what the condition of the home will be that you  are leaving them.

I don’t know about you, but this is how I think I’ll pray on New Year’s Day. “Lord, you are our Savior. Save us, Lord and help us to do all we can to save ourselves.” My hope is also that we will continue to pray and help each other on our pilgrimage in this beautiful universe that God has created for us.

I WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY 2007 NEW YEAR.

Fr. Tony Andrade.