“My dear brothers and sisters, greetings as we begin a new year. The pandemic, the war between Ukraine and Russia and road accidents have been hard on our Seychellois families during this last year. There has been so much loss, so much hardship, so much stress, and so much change. What makes it even harder is that there is so much uncertainty about when and how this will end; our lives, and the lives of our children, are going to be disrupted for the foreseeable future.
“There is so much we cannot control in all of this and it’s easy to lose sight of what we can control. One thing we absolutely can do is cultivate small moments of joy in each and every day. It doesn’t have to be a lot, or anything fancy or complicated. That’s the thing about joy: it can be very simple.
“And for sure, my dear brethren, God, who is in control of everything, is with our families and in His presence, there is always peace, love and joy. In his book, the prophet Nehemiah tells us: “do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
“Children who are blessings from God, have a great capacity for joy. It does not take much to make them happy. It’s even easier to make them happy if you do something with them ? which can have the added benefit of making parents happy too, as the joy of children can be infectious.
“It will therefore be great for all members of the family to be involved in producing ideas about how to activate the presence of God with all of us in the family. Have members of the family write things down for the family prayer together. Try to devote regular time to read the Bible together every day and enjoy God’s grace for a better family. Take time to sing the glory of God as a family. These proposals could become family rituals and take root and become a permanent part of your family life. God be with you and bless you during this blessed year 2023.
“To you and members of your family, a peaceful and prosperous New year.
“Together for His glory,
“Your fellow pilgrim on our earthly journey.”
Source: Seychelles Nation
