Happy New Year

To begin a New Year is a grace that is reserved to us who are on this side of eternity. I was looking at a notebook where I keep anniversaries and a few other important events to remember. My Grandfather Malone died on New Year's Eve when I was a novice. May Grandpa rest in the peace of Christ where Grandma preceded him two years earlier.
Millions may watch a crystal ball drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve night to usher in 2013. Many of us Daughters of St. Paul will be spending time in prayer before the Eucharistic Christ to thank God for the grace to begin a new year, and to beg for many graces for ourselves and for the whole world.
We pray for peace in Israel and Palestine, in Iran and Afghanistan, in Chad, in Nigeria, in Mali, in the Congo and other African nations where violence and anarchy reign. In our own continent we pray for an end to drug trafficing, and for a stop to human trafficing wherever it lurks.
We pray for the Church that it may be free to preach the gospel in every country and with all means available. May social media, the internet, the cell phone, Face Book and chat rooms be clear of all that is not worth printing, seeing or listening to, so these communications media will become bearers of the Good News.
Pray intentionally while we pray in actuality our special End-of-the-Year Hour of Adoration. We will be praying from 8:00 to 9:00 Eastern Standard Time. Others of our Sisters in different time zones will be praying later.
May your New Year be blessed in every way possible especially with graces, good health and good spirits.
For us Paulines, the last night of each year reminds us of the Founder, Blessed James Alberione. On the night which divided the 19th and the 20th Centuries, he  was a 16 year old seminarian of the Diocese of Alba northern Italy, The young man spent a prolonged time in adoration of Jesus in the Eucharist in the  Alba's cathedral. During the four hours Alberione spent with the Lord it became clear to him that he was to do something for the men and women of the new era with the newest media of the time. Then that meant the press. then the radio, movies and all the media of social communication. All those means were often used for anything but wholesome ends. The future Founder was inspired to consecrate media for God rather than to condemn media. From that night sprang the present day "Pauline Family" of 10 religious groups. For more information see the web sites of the Pauline Family on www.alberione.org. Of couse we Daughters of St. Paul have a site of our won www.pauline.org.
Have a very Happy New Year! May 2013 be rich in blessings for each of you my readers!

A very young Father,  now Blessed James Alberione.

Blessed Alberione in his later years.