Celebrating a New Year

A Reflection by Susan Rizo

Celebrating the New Year has always had a special place in my heart. As a child, my mom would buy us special treats and party favorites so we could ring in the new year right along with Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve. As a parent, I provided a similar environment for our kids. We gathered with other families and had a pajama party to usher in the New Year. We played games, ate our favorite food, made root beer floats, and danced the night away. I still make it a point to do something special on New Year’s Eve.  

Entering a new year can be full of emotions. I remember often thinking about what the new year would bring, being scared for the future, and desperately wanting to hang on to the present. Contemplating the mysterious future filled me with anxiety. Then there is the obsession with making a New Year’s resolution. Of course I always made one, only to be disappointed in myself a few weeks later. It reminded me once again that I just didn’t have it in me.  

A few years ago, I had a very different experience. I was invited to use the Examen as a way of previewing my year through the eyes of God and seeing it the way God did. It was a totally different experience. I did not bring fear or anxiety but a tranquility of knowing. So much of my life had been spent hurrying from one thing to another without much consideration or reflection. This meditation offered me an opportunity to sit with God and just reminisce about the events of my year. Where did I see God in the journey?  What stirrings from the Holy Spirit led to consolation, feelings of joy, and contentment?  What occurrences brought about struggles and pain? This experience invited me into a scope I hadn’t contemplated before, and although it was new, it didn’t feel overwhelming or scary because I could feel God accompanying me.

So often, we don’t have a sense of where we have been unless we make a conscious effort to review and reflect. Even during the difficulties, God was with me. In the last part of the Examen, you look toward the future. On this occasion, I looked to the year ahead and asked for guidance from the Holy Spirit. This time, there was no regret or disgust. I wasn’t worried about what I did not accomplish. Rather, I gratefully asked God to enter the new year and come along with me.  

If this sounds like the way you would like to begin the New Year, I have included a link for the Yearly Examen meditation by Becky Eldredge at Ignatian Ministries. You can use it at one time or do a small part each week in January.  https://beckyeldredge.com/guided-audio/

Susan Rizo

Susan Rizo is a spiritual director and sacred circle facilitator living in Mexico.