A year to reflect

At the end of every year, the media is full of "reflections" on the year now ending and then predictions for the year ahead.

Today's Gospel (Luke 2:16-21) suggests a variation that we might embrace.

And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.

We hear of Mary's doing this later in the same chapter (v. 51).

As this New Year begins, instead of simply reflecting on the year just ended, perhaps we can embrace a habit of regularly taking a little time to reflect on what God is doing in our lives and to open ourselves more and more to being instruments of his holy will.