THE BEGINNING OF THE GOOD NEWS

THE BEGINNING OF THE GOOD NEWS Fr Luke A Veronis   “The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” As we prepare to enter a new year, today we read from the Gospel of Mark and see him highlight in the very first verse  “the beginning of Good News!” Well, we are celebrating the beginning of this Good News during this Christmas season. God has entered the world and taken on human flesh. The curse of Adam and Eve, which led to our fallen world where humanity has separated itself from God and introduced death for all creation, has been reversed. The gates of Paradise are now opened and Jesus Christ invites each of us to begin tasting of His Heavenly Kingdom here and now on earth. The Good News is that God wants to live in each of us and fill us with His eternal peace, His unconditional love, His undying hope, His unconquerable faith. In contrast to Saint Mark’s introduction in His Gospel with “the beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,” we heard in today’s Epistle reading from Saint Paul’s final words taken from his last letter written where he says, “For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day.” Saint Paul discovered the Good News of Jesus Christ in a shocking way, when he was traveling on the road to Damascus with plans to persecute and arrest followers of Jesus. Instead, he encounters Christ in a mystical manner through the Divine Light and then drastically changes directions in his life, dedicating himself to sharing this Good News of Jesus Christ with the world, to all the nations! By the end of his life he can say, “I have fought the fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” Let’s reflect on this juxtaposition in today’s readings - from the beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ to finishing the race with faith. This is a description of what our ultimate goal in life should be. This is what makes life meaningful and beautiful. What happens all around us may be out of our control, but always remember, the confusion and darkness of the world around us should not determine how we perceive and experience life. When we choose to embrace “the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” as the guiding principle in our lives and choose “to fight the good fight and run the race in front of us while holding on to our faith,” we have discovered what makes life meaningful and beautiful, regardless of the world around us. The Scriptures said nothing about life being easy. We must be prepared for plenty of challenges, struggles, disappointments, sufferings, and evil. Just reflect on the life of Saint Paul and we can see all of that. Yet, the Apostle Paul doesn’t define his life from his sufferings and persecutions. Instead, he understands his life only through the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. That is why he can say, “Rejoice always. Give thanks in all circumstances. Pray without ceasing… I have learned to be content in all circumstances… I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me… If God is with me who can be against me… The sufferings of this time are not worth comparing to the glory that awaits me… I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, will award to me on that Day.” As we end the year 2023 and enter into a New Year, how can we embrace anew this Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and fight the good fight and run the race in front of us? Well, tomorrow, we celebrate one of the greatest fathers of the church, Saint Basil the Great, one of the greatest Great Church Father who was a defender of the Truth of God. He proclaimed and preached the Good News of Jesus Christ every morning and evening in his church, articulating the faith in practical ways and defending it against the heresies of his day. Yet, St. Basil was also a compassionate pastor who reached out to poor and marginalized. One of his most notable accomplishments was the Basiliad, a little community outside Caesarea which housed a hospice, a hospital and a house for the poor connected to his monastery. Of course, St. Basil is also one of the most important figures that shaped communal monasticism itself in the East, establishing a rule of life for how monks would live together. From his life, we can take away FOUR RESOLUTIONS for the New Year which will help us embrace the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and help us fight the good fight and finish the race with faith. First, let us be Seekers and Defenders of Divine Truth like St. Basil. We cannot be passive in our faith journey. It takes effort. It takes struggle. It takes spiritual warfare. We have to actively be seeking to learn and grow in our faith. Second, let us show our faith through the compassion we offer to the poor and marginalized of society. Intellectual faith means nothing if it is not accompanied with acts of love and mercy especially to the least of our brothers and sisters. Find ways to offer compassion to those in need. Third, Saint Basil was a great preacher who proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world all around him. Make it a goal to share your faith with others, to let others know what you believe and why you believe it. Don’t keep your faith as a private affair but let everyone know the Good News of Jesus Christ that is the guiding force in your life. Finally, remember that Saint Basil was a monk and the leaders of a monastic community. He engaged in his ascetic struggle daily against his passions. He understood he was in a spiritual war. We also must understand how we must struggle to overcome our vices and passions while opening up our heart to the Spirit of God to guide us. We hear about the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We are called to fight the good fight and finish the race with faith. And we find inspiration from the life of Saint Basil. May we imitate him during this new year by seeking after Divine Truth, living out this Truth by offering acts of love and compassion to the marginalized of society, sharing this Good News with everyone we know, and by struggling in our asceticism in our path of toward purification. A blessed and happy new year to all!