The daily Word of God

Grace and Truth Have Come to Us Through Jesus Christ

Dear brothers and sisters, peace and blessings to you.

We are already in 2026. A new year brings so much: the usual resolutions to change our lives for the better, and—let’s be honest—the fears that come with an uncertain future. With the New Year just beginning, we look ahead with a mix of excitement and anxiety. What will this year bring? How can we overcome this uncertainty? For us as Catholics, the answer isn’t found in fleeting things like fireworks, but in the lasting pillars of hope, faith, and merciful love. Let’s look at this New Year through the eyes of a believer.

In the Catholic Church, the New Year is a significant moment marked by gratitude and expectation. We acknowledge the passing of time, looking back at the past year with thanks for the gifts we received, while asking for forgiveness for our weaknesses and sins. We also look forward with hope in our hearts, praying for God’s guidance and grace in the year ahead.

The hopes we carry into this New Year aren’t just personal. They often reach further, embracing all of creation. We pray for peace, justice, and the salvation of everyone on this planet. We remember God’s promise of a renewed creation, and the hope that this promise will be fulfilled fuels our desire to work for a better future. Therefore, hope isn’t just a vague dream; it’s a firm determination to build the Kingdom of God.

Our faith helps us. Faith in the unchanging nature of God’s love is the compass that guides us through the unknown territory of the New Year. In many ways, faith is all we have. We believe that even in uncertain times, when we have to move forward blindly, the Lord will be with us, guiding us through the darkness toward the light. This faith strengthens our resolve to face difficulties with courage and compassion.

Works of mercy are about more than just giving alms. They involve actively building bridges of love and understanding in the world. As we enter this New Year, we commit ourselves again to serving those in need, showing kindness and compassion, and improving the lives of those around us.

As Catholics, we enter the new year with more than just willpower; we enter with a purpose, guided by the light of hope, faith, and merciful love. We pray that this year will be filled with God’s grace, and that we can become instruments of His love, building a bright future for ourselves and the world around us. A New Year is a time for reflection and hope—an opportunity to deepen our faith and let love shine brightly in this world.

Precisely because we don’t always see that love, and because the future isn’t always clear, the liturgy for this Christmas Sunday reminds us that in the middle of the darkness, a light shines. That light is “The Word.”

If there is one word that stands out above all others in today’s readings, it is “The Word” (with a capital W). That “Word” through which God created the world in the beginning; that “Word” that accompanied the people of Israel and was the voice of the prophets; the “Word” that announced the long-awaited Messiah has now become our own flesh and blood. He has taken on our human nature without losing His own; He has “pitched His tent” to stay among us. We can see all of this if we are able to look at the manger and discover in that baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, God’s definitive “Word” for all of us.

The first reading—the “hymn to wisdom”—reminds us that this “Word” is wise and true. Jesus shows us the true face of God, not just through His message, but through His way of life. True wisdom lies in living in harmony with what we believe, and thinking in accordance with the Gospel. With this “Word” of wisdom, God creates the world and “re-creates” it by sending His Son, Jesus—His best Word. And that “Word” has become life. Nowadays, words aren’t enough if they aren’t backed up by a life that proves them true. That is why Jesus’ word will last forever. He tells us: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” He backed up His word by giving His very life.

Jesus’ word deserves our full attention. It’s a word that comes into our lives to give us true meaning and happiness. It’s a word we find not just in scripture, but in the lives of so many people who “embody” it in their environments, their families, and their jobs. St. Paul says in the second reading: “May the Father of glory give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him.” The Father has given us the “Word” so we can truly know Him. We need that spirit to recognize Him alive and risen in our world today. We need to open our ears, our eyes, and all our senses to receive Him this Christmas. God is born for you and for me every time we listen to His “Word” and try to live it out. God is a “living Word”—He cannot be locked up or kept still. The “Word” isn’t meant for us to keep, but to share as a witness, so it can take root in others and lead them to an encounter with God.

Today, we might feel like just another Christmas is slipping away unnoticed. Or, we can set aside our sorrows and celebrate the Glory, recognizing the Savior made man—the “Word” made Flesh and Life. Grace and truth have come to us through Jesus Christ. He is a God-man who never tires of being born again and again to save us. In His goodness, He has destined us through Jesus Christ to be His children, for the praise of His glorious grace which He freely gave us in the Beloved. He is a God who accepts and welcomes all of humanity as part of His own life. He begins His human journey to teach you how to be more human. And He wants to keep being born, over and over, if we make room for Him in our hearts through His “Word”—Jesus, made a child, lying in the manger in Bethlehem.

Today we can welcome the “Word” that is born and give it warmth and life. Today we can become light. “Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace” (Luke 1:78-79).

Your brother in faith,