The Dawn of a New Year

New Beginnings and Opportunities for You to Consider Now

Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash

These are the hours and days to prepare our hearts for new beginnings and to close chapters, end seasons and prepare ourselves for what lies ahead. It is a space for endings. It is laced with the grace of new beginnings.

To do this work, it’s important to take some time to reflect and get quiet. Choose now to hold space for yourself to think back and to pray forward. A launching out requires some preparations. The quiet we hold now has its own way of ripening our souls with good expectations. We can hold space now in these coming days to think and to dream.

To help with this, I want to invite you to consider a few opportunities.

1. Consider downloading your copy of The Great Annual Examen. This is a guided exercise, based on the wonderful work of Ignatius of Loyola to reflect back in order to move forward. You can download your own copy or consider getting the version where you can make multiple copies for your family, church or organization with granted permission. Here’s the Link to Review Your Options.

2. Join Peter Ivey and myself as we are offering a live, 2 hour online retreat on Zoom on January 6, 2025 at Noon EST. where a limited number of folks (50) can join us for a guided and reflective time to consider the New Year using poems and the Great Annual Examen. When you register, you’re provided with a copy of the Great Annual Examen in your fee. Start now to do a section a day or plan a time when you cna have uninterrupted time to complete the Examen. Doing this kind of work is enhanced by a community like this where sparks ignite other sparks and the flame is brighter together. Here’s the link to consider the January 6 OnLine retreat. This will also be recorded and available if you’re unable to attend or for future reference. We will use the poetry of John O’Donohue, Thomas Merton, Stephen W. Smith and Peter M. Ivey.

Here’s a poem I’ve worked on and polished and “wordsmithed” this year to offer my own yearnings for where I’m standing right now at the dawn of another New Year. It’s a poem with hope as well as confession. It’s honest and raw. When we are vulnerable, I find there is a common thread that unites our hearts in both blood and passion; in desire and gratitude. I hope you will find something to help you.

I’d be so thankful and grateful to hear from you—about a line or phrase that gives you something to chew on; a nugget to perhaps carry in your heart or something of value to keep.

I’m sending this poem to everyone in the hopes that all of us on Substack can prepare ourselves, in a more soulful way for a new beginning at the dawn of the coming New Year!

I hope to see many of you on January 6 at Noon EST for our online Zoom retreat.

Every blessing!

Steve

Standing at the Dawn of the New Year 

by Stephen W. Smith

We stand at the dawn of a new beginning.
The old plateau served us well to bring us here. 
We are exhausted in the climb and chants of 'upward and onward!'
But, there is more to walk and the only way through is forward.

Before we walk, let us bow our heads
In the realization of how needy we truly are.
We confess our need for Heaven’s light.
Let us light many candles. We so need light.

Here, we let go of old illusions that have trapped us in our journey.
We admit our mistakes. 
We acknowledge our obsessions. 
We abandon false expectations and let go of tightly held illusions.

Lead us on and through, O One who holds us and time in your hands.
May this New Year be one where those we love are protected; even the World!
We are so exposed. We are vulnerable.
Shelter us. Defend us. Guide us. Bring us forward, not backward.

May we release those who cannot walk this journey with us—
Because of discord that is not understood or not yet forgiven.
We let go and we need to be released as well.
Help us let go of what we cannot carry anymore. 

Embolden our hearts to move now in the way ahead;
Holding hope to move us when we feel we can’t take one more step.
Guard our heart from losses and loneliness that will come.
Spare us the agony of dreams ending too soon; of loved ones leaving us too soon!

We will now walk into the unknown in faith.
Have mercy and may your hand be outstretched to show us the way.
May our health be protected; our souls nurtured and our sorrows comforted.
And now with one great breath we inhale the goodness of the future.

Consider becoming a Subscriber who supports my work on Substack. You do that by Upgrading your subscription to a “paid subscriber” and that is a $5 a month way of supporting my work. Poetry is the new space I’m walking into and finding my own voice—a voice integrating my study; my passion; my experience at 70 years old now and the greening season in my soul. These are all the themes of my poems and you’ll have access to all of them when you choose this way on Substack.