Katholisches Pfarramt Gut Hirt

We are once again at the very beginning of a new year.
The diary of our life pages for 2023 is still blank.
What lies ahead will fill these pages or close them completely.

The Book of Numbers contains a particularly beautiful text that will be read during the service on January 1. This celebration is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In this text, Aaron and his sons are asked by the great prophet Moses to bless the people with the following words.

"The Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace." (Num 6:24-26)

I am convinced that a blessing is not just any old saying. When a blessing is given, something special happens in secret. Those who give a blessing connect with those who receive it. A father or mother who blesses their child expresses their desire to be there for their child, to protect and accompany them.

God's blessing in all ways
When God blesses, He binds and connects Himself anew with people and renews His promise to be there for His children like a good father and a loving mother. Like every blessing, God's blessing is a promise to preserve life, to sustain it and to bring it to fulfillment. This is the deepest mystery of the birth of Jesus Christ. This promise of blessing echoes beyond Christmas.

The parish team of Gut Hirt and Good Shepherd wishes you and all of us a blessed, joyful, and happy New Year.

• Kurt Schaller, Pastor