Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

1/1/2026 (Thursday – New Year) Today’s Gospel reading: Luke 2:16-21

16 The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.
17 And seeing, they understood of the word that had been spoken to them concerning this child.
18 And all that heard, wondered; and at those things that were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
21 When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

1/1/2026 (Thursday) Today’s Gospel reflection / homily / sermon: Luke 2:16-21

As the year 2026 begins, many of us are standing at a familiar crossroads. We look back at a year filled with moments we never planned such as losses, surprises, small victories, unfinished dreams and we look ahead with a mix of hope and uncertainty. This is where the story of the shepherds speaks powerfully to us today.

These shepherds were ordinary people, awake in the dark, doing what they always did. Nothing about their night suggested that history was about to change. Yet when they heard the message, they did not argue, delay, or wait for better conditions. They went ahead. They moved toward something they could not fully explain. The new year invites us to do the same: to rise from routine and fear and take steps toward meaning, even when the path is unclear.

When the shepherds arrived, they found simplicity, not spectacle. No palace, no applause, no obvious sign of power. They saw only a child, a family, and a quiet moment. This reminds us that 2026 does not need to begin with grand resolutions or dramatic promises. Real change often starts small such as a decision to forgive, to be more patient, to show up, and to try again. God’s greatest work often enters our lives quietly.

After seeing the child, the shepherds did not keep the experience to themselves. They spoke about what they had encountered, and their joy overflowed into the lives of others. A new year challenges us not only to receive hope but to share it. In a world still healing from division, conflict, and fatigue, 2026 needs people who carry light into conversations, workplaces, families, and communities. Hope multiplies when it is spoken to others.

Mary, on the other hand, teaches us a different rhythm for the new year. While others spoke, she reflected. She held the events in her heart, allowing meaning to grow with time. As 2026 begins, we are reminded that not everything needs to be posted, announced, or rushed. Some lessons are meant to be treasured slowly. Some answers come through silence, prayer, and patient trust.

The naming of the child marks obedience and faithfulness in the ordinary flow of time. Life continues. Days turn into weeks. A new year arrives. This moment reminds us that faith is not only about emotional highs but about daily faithfulness like keeping promises, honoring commitments, doing what is right even when no one is watching. 2026 will be shaped less by what we declare on January 1 and more by what we practice every day after.

The message of this story for the new year is simple but profound: God meets us in motion, in simplicity, in reflection, and in faithfulness. We do not have to have everything figured out to move forward. Like the shepherds, we are invited to go and see. Like Mary, we are invited to hold and ponder. Like the Holy Family, we are invited to trust that God is working even when life feels ordinary.

As 2026 unfolds, may we walk with curiosity instead of fear, with humility instead of pride, and with hope that does not depend on perfect circumstances. The same God who entered the world quietly continues to enter our lives gently, faithfully, and lovingly, one step, one day, one year at a time.

Go here to read further Gospel reflection.