The Collect for the First Sunday after the Epiphany

O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully
to receive the prayers of thy people
who call upon thee; and grant that they
may both perceive and know what things
they ought to do, and also may have grace
and power faithfully to fulfil the same;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.


The Baptism of the Lord brings this Christmas season to its close. Yet the Baptism like the New Year is a beginning. Jesus is sent out on his public mission, sealed by the power of the Holy Spirit, with the words,

"This is my Son, the beloved, my favour rests on Him"

Each New Year we often look back on the year that has gone and look forward to the one that is to come. It is an opportunity to reflect and examine our lives.

• Have we lived up to our vocation to live the life in the Spirit?

• Have we fulfilled our potential and used the talents God has given us?

We share in the same Baptism. We too are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit, in Baptism and in Confirmation. We too may hear words of love and encouragement. We are children of God, His favour rests on us. We face a new beginning as we ponder in our hearts...

• What does God want for my life in this coming year?

• What changes can I make in my life?

God knows the plans He has for each of us and wants to bless us and bring us happiness. This does not mean that we will not have struggles or difficulties or challenges but it does mean He is with us and loves us more than we could ever imagine. God's greatest gift to us is the Holy Spirit.

St. Augustine said,

"It is easy to want things from the Lord and yet not want the Lord Himself; as though the gift could ever be preferable to the giver"

We are so blessed because we can call upon the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

The Holy Spirit shows us that in God alone, we find life, joy and peace. The Spirit also gently leads us so that we understand the wisdom of spending time with the Lord in prayer.

The late Cardinal Basil Hume had a great sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit. He taught that the Spirit was always there for us but we must want to Spirit more than anything else. The Cardinal put it like this:

"There is a gentle breeze if we can but catch it, which blows all the time to help us on our journey through life to our final destination. That breeze is the Holy Spirit. But the wind cannot be caught or used unless the sail is hoisted and the hoisting is our task. We must be on our watch, ready to recognise it and play our part. God does hold us and will lead us, if we want it; but we must want it"

We are those who seek the Holy Spirit and all his blessings.

Lord, your Spirit, the Spirit of love and truth, guides us on the pathway of joy. We strive to live always in the presence of our loving God.

The Holy Spirit can transform our lives, bringing us to the final transformation of our external redemption. That work begins afresh each day. It begins, for each of us, today.

O gracious and holy Father,
give us wisdom to perceive you,
diligence to seek you,
patience to wait for you,
eyes to behold you,
a heart to meditate upon you,
and a life to proclaim you,
through the power of the Spirit
of Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.

- Attributed to Saint Benedict of Nursia (480-c.550)


A blessing for the New Year

For this new Year, Lord, I pray:
May your love
Dwell in our hearts,
May your joy
Shine in our minds,

May your peace
Abide in our lives,
In our homes,
In our families,
In our workplace,
everywhere!

That your kingdom may come
a little closer to us all
And our world will be a better place.
Amen.

- Missionary Society of St Columban