A new year means new life

By celebrating the New Year within the context of Christmas, we acknowledge that Christianity is based on a particular person who was born at a particular time in history.

Whereas scientists estimate the earth to be over 4.5 billion years old and Biblical accounts place it at about 24,000 years, the Christian calendar reckons 2021 AD.

One wonders, then, why New Year's Day does not coincide with Christmas! Considering the Jewish background of rampant infant immortality at the time of Jesus' birth, a child's chances of survival could only be ascertained eight days later.

But a theological explanation appreciates that God may have called for circumcision on the eighth day to point to Christ and the New Covenant "new creation" He would bring (Gal. 6:13-15). Circumcision was also considered as a kind of sacrifice (Exodus 4:24-27). Hence the need to wait seven days before the child was fit for the circumcision ritual.

As prophesised in Micah 5:2, owing to the sin of Adam and Eve, God had given humanity up to a life of misery, frustration, and meaninglessness until the birth of Jesus. Before Christ, God was generally perceived to be very distant from our lives. So Jesus' birthday would be commemorated as the birth of a new Adam and new humanity (1 Corinthians 15:45). This would call us to accustom ourselves to be with God, so that He may transform us. Indeed, Christianity is responsible for the way modern society is organised. Our moral and cultural priorities, our laws, our economics, our politics, our arts, our calendar and our holidays reflect the regime of Jesus. Even most non- Christians at least respect him as a great moral teacher.

Paradoxically, however, entire societies are, currently, being organised around "a halfway Christianity" and secularism.

Jesus is not regarded as the Lord, the Son of God, but a mere humanist. The Gospel is just one more or less interesting philosophy of life. We are told to respect people's freedom of religion by, privately, not publicly, observing our own.

All in all, we must appreciate the fact that Christianity is troubling! But that is what refines a person's character, for a better life. Jesus invites everyone to deny themselves and take up their cross and follow him (Matthew 16:24).

Celebrating a new year invites us to be more serious about leading a "new life in Christ", in a less believing age.

We need to truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God, true God and true man; the One who holds the words of eternal life.

Jesus wants us to embrace him with total love of God and of our neighbour." (Luke 10:27).

Christianity means striving every day to become more like Jesus in thought, word and deed. This includes politics, which deals with organising our lives together for justice and the common good. We do this by getting to know Christ better through daily reading and praying over the gospels and by opening ourselves up to the graces he gives us in the sacraments and in shepherds of the Church (John 21:15-17).

The leaders of today's secularised societies like to fancy themselves as promoters of human welfare and social reform (humanitarians).

Yet, they justify abortion and competition between countries to achieve superiority in quantity and quality of military arms (arms race), which are responsible for killing millions of people.

They no longer define the family as a covenant communion of a man and woman that leads to new life and future of society.

Only the truth, and the whole truth, can set people free. That truth is Jesus (John 14:6). Our total embrace of him rewards us with a new and better life. Happy New Year.

The writer is a Catholic priest