New Year Message from Bishop Solis

Intermountain Catholic

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Greetings of Christ’s love and peace to the people of God in Utah and to all people of good will!

On January 1, the Octave of Christmas, we will continue to celebrate the birth of Christ and rejoice for the greatest gift of God to humanity. In his infinite love, God sent his only begotten Son, born of Mary, to be our Savior and dwell among us. Jesus, the Emmanuel, remains with us amid the miseries, insecurities and uncertainties in the world.

Welcoming the new year takes various forms and ways. It is an opportunity not only to reflect on our past but to resolutely strive to start again, focused on improving ourselves to become the persons God has created us to be. We can begin by letting the old give way to the new, so we can move on with the lessons we have learned kept in our hearts, so that we can start anew with hope of a fresh outlook in all aspects of the life in front of us.

The new year presents other opportunities and possibilities to us, for which we are grateful. The grace of God is always present, but it is up to us to make it a reality in our lives to create a new era of love, justice and peace by becoming responsible stewards of God’s blessings, builders of unity, and instruments of change in transforming the world to be a much better place.

Our Church dedicates the first day of the new year as the Solemn Feast of Mary, the Mother of God. We honor the Blessed Virgin for her significant role in the mystery of our salvation by giving birth to our Savior, the Light of the World, and the Prince of Peace. I encourage everyone to go to Mass on Jan. 1, to pray and seek the loving intercession of our Blessed Mother, that Jesus, her son, may inspire and empower us with his grace to emulate, imitate and follow her example so we may be faithful, humble and obedient children of God, like her.

With trust and confidence in the abiding presence of God who never abandons us, I extend to all my prayerful wishes of a Happy New Year full of peace and God’s blessings!