By Steve Stricker

Columnist

HAPPY NEW YEAR’S DAY 2025, y’all!

Such an awesome Christmas made special of course by the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, gifts to others, gifts to me, and especially memorable because of my son Stepehen, his wife Kristie and others – one of the best ever. 

This is a “Jubilee” year in the Catholic Church occurring every 25 years. “In Roman Catholic tradition, a Jubilee or Holy Year is a year of forgiveness of sins and also the punishment due to sin. It is a year of reconciliation between adversaries, of conversion and receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation and consequently of solidarity, hope, justice, commitment to serve God with joy and in peace with our brothers and sisters.”

Remember y’all to leave your Christmas decorations up until Monday, January 6 – the 12th day of Christmas, Epiphany – when the Magi arrive to pay honor to our newborn Lord, Jesus Christ; only then is the Christmas season over.

BTW, thank you Oxford radio stations for the great continuous Christmas music that helped make the season for me.

On this first day of the year, the Church gathers in prayer honoring with joy, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God – i.e., Mary’s role as the mother of Jesus Christ. 

At 9:00am this morning, or earlier, Ill be at St. John’s to meditate, love Mary, Mother of God, and to attend the mandatory Mass for we Catholics, a Holy Day of Obligation, at 10:00am. What are you doing…?

Tomorrow, on the second day of the year, Thursday, January 2, #14 Ole Miss, 9-3, takes on Duke, #29, 9-3 in the 80th Annual TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL, 6:30 pm, central, ESPN. One thinks of Duke, hail Mike Krzyzewski, “Coach K,” as a basketball powerhouse – but perhaps our Coach David Cutcliffe got the football Blue Devils here. Nonetheless, love Duke, but GO REBELS!

Each new year, I think back to Christmas a few days before and how at Jesus’ birth he didn’t just change one year to the next, he changed BC to AD!  Wrap yo head around that!

Perhaps your lives are perfect, but as my hero mom “Gert” often told me, “Your life is like a soap opera and I’m going to stick around to see how it turns out.” Ha. She lived to 95 and it was just not enough.

For the first time in a long wee bit, after one of the best Christmas’ I can remember, thanks to son Stepen and Kristie, my “daughter,” this very first day of January 2025, I’m looking at a new year, blemished, flawed that as every day I will work on, but not dealing with major health issues.  And there are a ton of projects weighing me down, just no motivation, lack of energy, especially those dreaded ’64 Land Rover swivel ball assemblies, but like having your credit card paid off, am starting off somewhat fresh, standing in that proverbial open doorway and limitless possibilities with God’s help.

Pope Francis, announcing the Jubilee 2025 said, “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision.”

 HAVE A BLESSED, PRODUCTIVE, BEST YEAR OF YOUR LIFE 2025 & GO REBELS, BEAT DUKE!

Steve lives in Oxford and has his Ph.D., in Counseling from Ole Miss