The Christmas season has come to an end. The feast of the Baptism of Jesus brings us to the end of the Christmas season. Let us take time to recall the graces and gifts that have come to each of us (and to those whose lives we have touched) since the beginning of Advent on November 29. How have I welcomed the Lord this Christmas season? In what ways has God stretched and challenged me during these weeks? Where do I find myself now in relationship with my own person, with family and friends and co-workers, and, especially with our God? Which Christmas “gifts” do I particularly treasure this year?

These early days of 2016 we don’t have a precise roadmap with exact signposts for the year ahead. But let us have this confidence in God–that, if we ask anything according to His Will, God will hear us. Let us not be afraid to “cast into the deep.” God is with us!