NEW YEAR

Last year I joined some confreres for the New Year countdown at MOA. Boy! It was already crowded when we arrived. Every bit of space at the grounds and at the sea wall was occupied. Families had spread mats on the ground.

Since we arrived early, we thought it best to line up for the Ferris wheel ride. SM claims that it is the tallest such ride in the Philippines. It was air-conditioned, too. While we were at the summit of the Ferris wheel, there was an explosion of fireworks in the night sky. We thought it was the beginning of the fireworks display. But we looked at our watches. It was 11pm. Nah. It was probably a sort of test to make sure that all the equipment was all ready for the grand show.

We continued to enjoy the ride. It was smooth and the nightscape was delightful to the eyes. Maybe that was why it seemed that the ride ended too soon.

It was a half an hour before the clock struck 12. It was time to look for a place for the grand fireworks display. We found it near a zip line. Watching people zoom one after the other kept us entertained. Then the zip line stopped. The lights went off one by one. It was time.

The night sky exploded with fireworks of different colors and designs. Against the noise of the explosion you could hear the ooohhs and the aaahhs of thousands of spectators. And when it was over, people gave a “standing ovation” to this once-a-year tradition of welcoming the New Year.

We should have more of this organized by local governments and businesses. In this way more and more people would be content to just watch instead of them having to set off fire crackers and fireworks themselves. The result would be fewer casualties. It is heart-rending to see victims on TV, especially children, crying in pain because of fire crackers that exploded too soon in their hands.

We are told that this custom of welcoming the New Year comes from the Chinese. They use firecrackers and fireworks to drive away evil spirits, leaving only good luck for the New Year.
I would rather look at it this way.

It is a way of expressing our joy at being given another chance to begin again. It is like closing a chapter of our life in order to begin another one. And we begin this new chapter with hope that great things await us. And we do have reason to hope because our mistakes and successes of the past year have made us wiser and therefore, better equipped to face the new challenges that may come our way. We also begin a new journey of 365 days with enthusiasm because of the goals that we have set for ourselves. These goals energize us.

This is why it is a good idea that at the beginning of the New Year we pray for God’s blessings upon us. We want our efforts and our plans to bear fruit. We do not want to travel alone. We would like God to accompany us throughout the year. After all, is Jesus not called Emmanuel which means God is with us?

Moreover, we Filipinos have a special place in our hearts for the “Mahal na Birhen”. We look on her as mother. And January 1 is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

For all these reasons going to Mass on January 1 makes sense. And also for these reasons, greeting you a blessed New Year makes sense, too.