Happy New Year!
My dear friends and family,
We are entering a new year and so far we only know what we’ve left behind.
If only we actually COULD leave some of these things 'behind’.
Another year of war between Russia and the Ukraine ( On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in an escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that started in 2014. The invasion was the largest attack on a European country since World War II. It is estimated to have caused tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilian casualties and hundreds of thousands of military casualties.)
Let us pray for peace.
Another year of war between Israel and Hamas (On 7 October 2023, the paramilitary wings of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the PFLP, and the DFLP launched a series of coordinated armed incursions into the Gaza envelope of neighbouring Israeli territory, the first invasion of Israel since the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.)
Let’s continue to pray for an end to this terrible loss of life.
We are saddened by lives lost last year by hurricanes, earthquakes, drought, all acts of violence, and illness.
We hoped to leave Covid behind but although the world worked together to come up with life saving vaccines it seems that Covid will be with us forever.
We pray to stay healthy and for a return to health and unwavering hope for the sick and dying.
Let’s also hope we can leave behind our anger, fears, and bad behaviours.
Let us look forward with trust and HOPE and make a resolution to do something positive and life changing in 2024….whether it’s in our own lives or the chance to change someone else’s for the better. Good idea?
The world has oft been a scary place in the past year but there have also been many stories of kindnesses and love.
So let it be a happy new year and may God bless you and those whom you love in 2024.
Love,
Laura Bachynski
