Happy New Year! And, with the New Year we are blessed with three occasions for this day. First, we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary as Mother of God. Second, we also celebrate the Octave of Christmas and lastly, we celebrate the beginning of the New Year.

Mother earth, mother nature, or as we hear in Isaiah, if a mother should ever forget the child of her womb, I shall never forget you, says God. I am THE MOTHER of all that is. I have born you in my womb, and my joy is complete when you are in my arms, happy and complete. It is my joy to give you life and for you to have it to the full. Remain in my love.

The power of giving life is not only a biological reality, as precious and special as that is, but giving life also includes those who nurture, those who listen, those who care for, those who reach out to others, reflects Fr Nick de Groot SVD.

As society becomes more technologically advanced, one of the things that we notice is that our contact with one another becomes increasingly mediated by digital means—chat applications, social networks, mobile texting, and so on. 

My own life and ministry have become so much richer because of relationships that would have otherwise been impossible without Facebook, Line, and other Internet applications. My connection with my family who live on the other side of the globe has also been reinforced by technology. I cannot be more grateful that I am a missionary in an age where communication has been able to bring so many people to me and me to so many people.