The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1951-12-28
Just Among Ourselves


| Passing LoH1ment ConSidered or nconsIdeTAfe
1t is the time of renewal and therefore of hope.
The wish of Happy New Year" rings daily in our
ears and in our hearts How often have heard and
uttered those heartening words, not only in recent
days but in all our past years. How quickly the
newness is gone yet we do not attend to it when it is
past, but look forward always to a fresh newness.
We seem to find nothing silly or odd in picturing
the New Year infant; and within IL short
months this infant is an old man with long beard
while infant represents yet another New Year.
The swiftness of times flight the brevty of life,
could hardly have more striking expression than
this; and the expression is not so much in the pic
lures as in Our own casual way of accepting them,
unsmiling, as factuay representative.
We are made to look forward, for I'VE have not
here lasting city but look for one that is to come"
Constantly we require renewal Of hopeful ancipa-
ton. We take occasion for renewal; we make resou-
tons we free ourselves as far as may be on the
hamperng influences of the past; we readily forget
all the failures OF the years gone by. We may not
have high confidence in fresh resolves; we may
not even joke about them; but make them none
the less, and not by way Of Joke.
We are on journey, and we must needs make
progress. ST. Thomas always speaks of man in his
earthly life piator or one who is the way"
Consciously or not, accept this true characterize
tion of our state. Like travellers even stless and
undiligent in the iourneying we must pause now
and again, look about us, turn our thoughts to the
goal TO Journeys End and make fresh resolutions
to get with the business
All seasons and times keep us reminded of the
flight OF years, OF the passing of the days in which
journey is to be made We have constant re-
mnders in birthdays, feast days, seasons of penance
and especially in the day called New Years that
to labor IN the day, for the night cometh IN
which no man can work. Life is full of reminders
and occasions of urging and encouragement; New
Years Day is one of the most notable of these.
To the child of the Church. life is not only Jour
ney, but one that has TO be made with effort and
direction. We are not moving automatically towards
the real goal of life. We do so move towards death
and Judgment but upon our wills supported always
by the grace OF God won by Our Lord for us. de-
pends the eternal outcome of the journey Death
is inevitable heaven is not We do not choose the
journey itself do choose the end which it is to
achieve. II is this thought which makes reasonable
serious and earnest in the matter of resolutions.
II is this truth which lends mighty importance
TO the occasions which actively remind us of the
fact that life has great purpose and that life is
running rapidly away.
For the person who accepts some theory of Beau
tiful Isle of Somewhere, these times OF resolution
and renewal must be utterly meaningless, For the
who bndly decides that his future is either an
limitation or paradise, and That he has nothing 10
say or do about IT, there can be occasion IN New
Years any other day for renewal or for hope.
For the who does not accept life as RESPONSE
bility, personal and private, there is nothing lasting
but bleak gray prospect Of despair. The hope of
heaven goal to be achieved is not only some
thing needful TO supernatural man. but to natural
man we'll Wisely does Chesterton remark that
what nature wants is the supernatural"
And the real meaning of the phrase Happy New
Year" is supernatural. We cannot sincerely think
that the next So weeks arc going TO be more filled
with health or material prosperity cat least for most
of those we salute) than the weeks of the year just
gone. We know very we'll that the days ahead are
likely to be very much like the days now ending
Yet we cry out cheerfully and heartily, our wish of
Happy New Year. What happiness can mean, il
not supernatural happiness? What is il wish our
friends il not the grace of God and ultimate saliva
ton?
And this is the fact that makes The New Years
wish valuable. merely sentimental expression is
not worth vocing A wish of happiness to the many
who labor in pains of body and affction of spirit
would be, If material happiness were meant moth
ing short OF a mockery and a meanness. But our
Happy New Year" is given and accepted without
offense on either side; this is because II is truly
spiritual wish.
We wish men the grace Of God. We wish men the
possession of the true faith, the one dviney estab
lished religion. We wish that all may know God ant
Jesus Christ whom He has sent. We wish that man
kind, without exception. may find the Church, ente
it, and live up 10 its requirements and IFS opportunl
ties This is what VIC wish when We cry out Happy
New Year"
For ourselves AS We accept the seasons greet
ing from others, our soul coneurs IN the strong
wish that the year may find us ready for our Judg
ment, that, If this be the eliminating year of life
may be found ready when our summons comes
Thus is the wish and its acceptance prayer worth
of the holy time in which God became Man for on
sake; It is prayer worthy of His time who is TIL
worlds one and sufficient Hope and Happiness