Our Lady of Medjugorje teaches us how to begin the New Year…
December 30, 2013 A.D.
In 1988 when Medjugorje visionary Marija was in Alabama, staying at our founder’s home, with Our Lady appearing everyday, a practice was begun that has changed the way people celebrate New Years Eve. During those apparitions of 1988, a Mass was prayed in our founder’s home on New Year’s Eve, near midnight, to bring in the New Year. The following year 1989, A Friend of Medjugorje felt that the way most bring in the New Year, was not blessing the New Year. He invited a small local Medjugorje gathering on New Years Eve, for midnight Mass; in what is now the Caritas gift shop, in a room where a large Crucifix hung. A Friend of Medjugorje invited the group of people over for a Mass, with the inspiration of, “Why spend the first hour of the New Year partying, when you could be praying, consecrating the year to come?” At that time, no one thought of attempting a midnight Mass, as it was a novel idea back in 1989. It was unheard of because everyone was gathering with friends and partying. It was so foreign to mentalities, because many thought it would be an infringement on their fun of the New Year’s celebrations. Yet, this first celebration of a New Year’s Eve Mass was heavily attended, and would in the years to come. Many began to imitate the witness, as it spread across the nation.
The following year 1990, A Friend of Medjugorje planned the New Years Eve Mass, as a tradition to spread. It was held at a larger location, and in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1990, 150 people showed up for the special Mass. From there, learning of the crowds who attended the Caritas New Year’s Mass, EWTN decided to house a New Year’s Eve Mass, and to this day still, Mass near midnight is held at EWTN, following what Our Lady established through Caritas. This is just another example of something that Medjugorje has inspired, and that affects people today. Our Lady of Medjugorje said on December 31, 1985:
“When you hear the bells at midnight, you will fall on your knees, bow your head to the ground so that the King of Peace will come. This year I will offer my peace to the world. But afterwards, I will ask you where you were when I offered you my peace.”
Where will you be, and what will you be doing at midnight? Knowing that in many places a Mass is simply not available, the Caritas Community would like to share with you an example that you can use to follow.
We come together as a Community, sharing memories of the year in our photo albums. We pray a Rosary, which extends into the New Year. We pick a message of Our Lady at random from Words from Heaven between each decade of the Rosary. This makes up our first novena of the year, praying the Rosary, reciting the messages picked during the New Year’s Eve Rosary, each of the first nine days of the New Year, for Our Lady’s guidance. An example follows below. On New Year’s day itself, the Community comes together again to share our greatest ‘joys’ and ‘greatest lessons’ from during the year. In places around the world, families have begun this, so to begin the New Year. It can make a difference for you, and whether your year is filled with peace or not, on how you begin the Near Year. Our Lady said on October 30, 1985:
“If in the evening you fall asleep in peace and in prayer, in the morning you will wake up thinking of Jesus. You will then be able to pray for peace; but if you fall asleep in distraction, the day after will be misty, and you will forget even to pray that day.”
If this is the case for one night and day, what about for the whole year? To spend the first hour of the New Year in prayer, is to invest into the whole year a blessing for it, and that we see all events in the world, viewed through mist, but with the clarity of Our Lady’s messages ‘worldview.’ The following is a suggested New Years Eve schedule for your family to use as a guide:
December 31, 2013 Schedule
for Your Family or Gathering
Before Your Rosary – Eat dinner early enough to not be rushed to begin your Rosary. Take time to share your greatest joys and lessons of the year. Each member of the family, or friends, will find great value in participating, from the youngest to the oldest. In places where you have other family members or friends that join you, they too would find great value in doing this. Again, do this early enough so to not be rushed.
11:30 PM – Begin your Rosary. Before each decade pick a message at random using the book Words from Heaven, or the Random Message feature on the site, available here… – Mark the dates and record the messages, since they will be used for your New Year’s Novena for Our Lady’s intentions for you.
Extending into the New Year – End your Rosary with another message picked at random from Words from Heaven or using the Random Message feature on the site, available here…
In total there will be six messages of Our Lady picked at random, one before each decade, and one at the end of the Rosary. The messages picked at random, will be a basis for a Novena that you will begin January 1 and pray until January 9. Your New Years Novena will consist of a Rosary, with an example following:
*Example of New Years Novena January 1 – January 9, 2014
Before the First Decade – Read Your Message Picked before First Decade on New Years Eve
Before the Second Decade – Read Your Message Picked before Second Decade on New Years Eve
Before the Third Decade – Read Your Message Picked before Third Decade on New Years Eve
Before the Fourth Decade – Read Your Message Picked before Fourth Decade on New Years Eve
Before the Fifth Decade – Read Your Message Picked before Fifth Decade on New Years Eve
After the Hail Holy Queen – Read Your Message Picked at the End of the Rosary
Again, this Novena will begin January 1 and extend until January 9.
If you wish to share your New Years Eve experience you can write to us here…
4 thoughts on “How to Spend Your New Years Eve and Begin the New Year”
Thank you for sharing this tradition. We have been blessed the last few years entering the New Year in Adoration but it is not being held this year. This will be a blessed way to start 2014!
Dear Friends in Christ, PAX I would like to thank you for all the work you are doing for our Blessed Mother and Her children. I just want to assured you of my prayer for Caritas community. I unites my Marian prayer group that our Blessed Mother asked me to organize to your community and share the message of Medjugorje with our friends on the internet. I wish you all A BLESSED NEW YEAR! May our Blessed Mother continue to be with us and lead us to Her Son Jesus. United in prayers Rev. Dom. Francis Mary osb (Olivetan Benedictine Monk)
Thank you! This is just what my soul needed. It is a beautiful way to counteract all of the outrages against the Immaculate Heart on this special day!
Thank you so much for the fabulous idea of bringing in the New Year with the Novena! I loved bringing in the New Year with prayer. We said it earlier because my husband, John has been sick with bronchitis. May God Bless you! John and Kathy