It’s tempting isn’t it?  How many of you have been thinking that once this year of the pandemic, 2020 is over with that we can start up singing the song that was sung about 100 years ago after the recovery from the Great Depression, Happy Days Are Here Again?  It’s a nice thought, but happy days may or not be right around the corner.  But you know, us Catholics have never really been all that worried about being happy as much as we work and pray, allowing our Lord Jesus to bring us to where we know we really should be:  not happy but blessed.  You see, when we are blessed, then we know that no matter where we go, no matter what we have to go through, we can still feel the presence of God right there with us, everywhere, every moment.  But being blessed also means that we can still feel joy through pain, we can still be at peace through loneliness, we can still be blessed when the whole world as we know it is completely becoming unraveled.  For those of us who are so close to God, for those who are still working to get close to our Almighty and yet Comforting One, it’s more than just making the best of a bad situation.  Remember back in the day the song from Cat Stevens, Moonshadow? 
 

And if I ever lose my hands
Lose my plow, lose my land
Oh, if I ever lose my hands
I won't have to work no more

And if I ever lose my eyes
If my colors all run dry
Yes, if I ever lose my eyes
I won't have to cry no more

And if I ever lose my legs
I won't moan, and I won't beg
Oh, if I ever lose my legs
Oh, if, I won't have to walk no more

And if I ever lose my mouth
All my teeth, north and south
Yes, if I ever lose my mouth
I won't have to talk

The singer of the song could make the best out of any situation because he was being followed by a moonshadow, “leaping and hopping on a moonshadow.”  Well, we certainly have a lot more that a “moonshadow” to leap and hop on!  We have the Everlasting Light Itself in our Lord Jesus, the Light that overcomes any and all darkness. 

So here is my blessing for all of you as we enter into the Year of Lord 2021 and know that I thank the Lord that there are people out there like you.  I still have not seen more than half of my parishioners since March as most of you still are watching on your screens and those who are here at Mass I still can’t see because of the masks!  But your courage, your perseverance, your generosity, and your faithfulness has not only made me so incredibly grateful for all of you, but you are the reason why I get up in the morning, you all are the reason why God has graced me with the greatest title that I or any priest could ever be called:  “Father.”  So enough chatter, here’s the blessing:

Almighty Father, through the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, and through the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit, I ask for a special blessing on all of the collegians and parishioners of the Aquinas Newman Center as well as all those who have journeyed with us this past year, and for all Catholics around the world, that we may practice for the day when we can once again hug each other by daily hugging You; that we may overcome any obstacle thrown against us, whether spiritual or physical by allowing You to be the only One that overwhelms us; that we may know the difference between what is dark and what is light, what is evil and what is good, what is death and what is life and to always choose You through whatever is Good, True and Beautiful; and that we will let go of whatever does not lead us back to you so that we can cling with all of our strength to Your Presence, to Your Will and to Your Love.  Please bless all with the knowledge that the only thing to be feared is sin, and that Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ is but a heartbeat away to give us a new start, a new beginning, a new life.  Help all of us to manage the time that we have so that not a moment is wasted in this upcoming year, so that we can be a source of strength to those who are weary, a comforting smile to those who have been hurting, and may we all bring the fullness of Christ to the entire world.  Amen.

Have a blessed 2021!