Reflections on the New Year and the Sanctification of Time
As we enter the year 2025, we take a moment to express our gratitude to God for His blessings and to seek His continued goodness in the year ahead. The transition from one year to the next is an opportunity for us to reflect on the gift of time that God has bestowed upon us in our earthly lives. This time serves as a preparation for the eternal life that awaits us in the Kingdom of Heaven.
In accordance with the traditions of the Church, the service marking the New Year includes the reading of the Akathist Hymn to Our Lord Jesus Christ. This hymn is a reminder of the significance of January 1, which commemorates the Circumcision and Naming of Jesus Christ. The act of naming Jesus on the eighth day after His birth symbolizes His eternal nature and serves as a reminder that every year is a year of salvation leading us towards eternal life.
By invoking the name of Jesus Christ, we sanctify our lives, the spaces we inhabit, and the times in which we exist. Jesus Christ, being both divine and human, transcends time and eternity, offering us the opportunity to participate in eternal life through our earthly existence. This time of salvation is made manifest in the life of the Church, where our lives are transformed, sanctified, and fulfilled.
The Church teaches us that through the sacraments, we can encounter Christ and partake in His eternal life. Through Baptism, we are reborn into the Kingdom of God. In the Eucharist, we receive Christ Himself for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. In the Sacrament of Marriage, we receive the blessing of Christ’s eternal love. In Confession, we find forgiveness for our sins. In Ordination, we are sent out to preach the Gospel and shepherd God’s people. In the Sacrament of Unction, we receive healing for our souls and bodies.
Even though we did not walk the earth during Christ’s earthly life, we can still draw near to Him through the Church’s sacraments and the work of the Holy Spirit. The Church’s sacraments are a means through which Christ offers us His eternal life, renewing and transforming our earthly existence. As Saint Leo the Great said, “All that was in Christ now passes into the Sacraments.”
As we journey through life, we are reminded that Christ reigns over both the living and the dead. Our earthly life is a preparation for the eternal happiness that awaits us in the Kingdom of Heaven. By viewing each moment of our lives with trust, hope, responsibility, and seriousness, we can make the most of the time that God has given us on earth. Life is an opportunity to bear fruit, to redeem lost time, and to rise from sin through repentance.
As we move forward into the new year, let us heed the words of Saint John Chrysostom and take stock of our lives. Let us use this time to reflect on our actions, to seek forgiveness for our sins, and to strive towards righteousness. May the coming year be a time of growth, of renewal, and of closeness to our Savior Jesus Christ.
Let us reflect on the days ahead, not forgetting the words of the prophet to the Jews, “their days were consumed in vanity, and their years in haste” [Psalm 77:33]. Time is a gift that can be used wisely or squandered, whether it be the physical gifts of health, intelligence, and strength, or the spiritual gifts received through Baptism. It is up to us to sanctify time through faith, repentance, and good deeds, or waste it through a lack of love for God and others.
As we enter the year 2025, declared as the Solemn Year of the Romanian Patriarchate’s Centennial, let us honor our spiritual fathers and confessors of the 20th century. Let us also remember Romanians abroad and pray for peace among nations.
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless this new year with steadfast faith, repentance, and abundance. Wishing you a happy and blessed New Year!
† Daniel
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
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