“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one” - Elbert Hubbard. All who wanted to succeed in life have made mistakes. That does not mean that one has to do some blunder in order to succeed! All that it means is mistakes do happen in life.

There are many folks who believe that successful people never make any mistake, only ignorant ones do. But the opposite is true. In fact, there is a book called “Einstein’s Mistakes” which describes some major failures he had in his profession.

The late Steve Jobs (Apple) and Bill Gates (Microsoft) have experienced failures. Thomas Alva Edison discovered the light bulb after many failed attempts. Once, when asked about his results, Edison replied, “I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won’t work!”

If you want to start 2012 afresh and maintain that freshness, you got to have a mindset to learn from mistakes. You may not be perfect in all that you do in this year. But you can enjoy every moment of this year with such a mindset.

In fact, you can benefit from mistakes if you can handle them positively.

1. Mistakes can lead you to discovery.
You may be working on something. But you may end up discovering something else! This is the case of the Microwave Oven and Post-it Notes.

2. Mistakes can lead you to a solution.
You may have thought that you blew it. But in fact you found the solution that you were trying to find!

3. Mistakes can make you more knowledgeable.
That is what happened to Thomas Edison. He understood what won’t work as a result of his failures.

4. Learn from mistakes and then, dump them!
You don’t need to cling on to mistakes. When it happens, get the message and then throw them out. Don’t regret over your mistakes. Employ what you learned from them.

In order to start this New Year afresh, we must be ready to learn from mistakes.

In the next post, we are going to deal with the seventh step to starting 2012 afresh. Meanwhile, what are some of the principles you learned from the mistakes you made? Jot them down in the comments section below.

- – – written by Joe Abraham from www.joeandancy.com

So, if a young man feels that he is adventurous, let him take up holiness.

A close observation will reveal that young people are always adventurous. Being adventurous is not a sin. In fact, it is God’s gift. But a young man does not know how to express his adventurousness. So he takes to activities which seem to be very adventurous. But though most of the activities he does are adventurous, they are not only useless but also dangerous to him and to the society.

Most young men take pride in being able to ride the bike very fast. They feel that they can show to the world that they are very courageous by riding the bike at such a speed and in such manner. A child looks at them and tells himself, “One day I must ride the bike like this.” But the young man from whom the child got inspiration faces an accident and realizes the uselessness and danger of such activities and stops such things. But the child grows up and imitates that young man or does more dangerous things than him. Some times it ends in fatal accidents or life long handicaps. This vicious cycle continues.

They show courage in swimming in dangerous rivers and seas. They show courage in fighting with the authority. They show courage in going near dangerous animals. They do many other things like this. Some young men show their adventurous nature by resigning the job they have, thinking that they can get another one so easily. They realize the foolishness of these acts only when it is impossible to revert the consequences of their acts. These are some areas where Satan misguides the young generation to misuse the sacred gift of adventurousness given by God.

Saints are people who realize their adventurousness. But since this adventurousness is guided by Jesus himself, it bears fruit and brings great benefit to the society. They show their adventurousness in the most adventurous task, i.e., holiness. For choosing holiness as their field to prove their adventurousness, they are indebted to their parents also. Their parents show them that holiness is the most adventurous thing in life. They also show their children that holiness is a useful adventure. It is useful to both the one doing that adventure and to the people who observe his adventure.

Choosing holiness is the greatest adventure. All are called to this adventure. If anyone feels that this world does not offer him anything adventurous, I will tell him to try holiness once. You will see that only the really strong go all the way. And the ordinary will bid adieu sooner than they start. Holiness is for that sturdy, trendy young guy. The remaining just fret and strut in streets and campuses and bars and clubs. The strong fight their way to the Kingdom of God. For every other adventure, desire is enough. But for holiness, desire must be accompanied with great strength and will power. So holiness is the greatest adventure this world can offer.

So, if a young man feels that he is adventurous, let him take up holiness. It is truly challenging. A rash ride on the bike requires a moment’s courage. Resigning a job requires a few days courage. And there will always be many to encourage this adventure. That encouragement itself takes away the real pleasure of that adventure. Choose holiness. It requires courage of a life time. No one except God will be there to support you. No one except God will be there to encourage you and applaud. This darkness is really adventurous and exciting. This trusting the Unseen is really adventurous. Everything else is mere sham. I feel that a sister or a priest who has shut herself or himself within the four walls of a cloister is the most adventurous person on this earth.

When everybody jumps into a strong current, it requires courage to tell oneself, “No, I won’t do it.” When everybody copies in the exam, it requires courage to say no to that extra mark that can be had by copying. When everybody jumps the red light, it requires courage to say no to that extra time that one can have by violating that rule. And when everybody goes to that bad movie, the courage one requires to sit at home is unfathomable. When everybody goes to tuition and some other coaching missing the holy mass, being willing to miss that tuition and coaching is not a child’s play.

A person who can restrain himself from doing something when there are many to applaud doing that thing is adventurous. A person doing something when there are many to applaud is being just ordinary. Trying to receive praise is ordinary. Being able to bear scorn is extraordinary. Doing something when reward in one form or the other can be seen is ordinary. Doing something when reward cannot be seen in any form is really adventurous.

- – - written by Adv. Shibu Varghese

The Magnificat, taken from Luke’s Gospel (1:46-55), is the Blessed Virgin Mary’s hymn of praise to the Lord. It is also known as the Canticle of Mary in the Liturgy of the Hours.

The Magnificat of Mary

My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
Because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name;
And his mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of his mercy
Even as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.

Do you have a Magnificat which is an overflow of your contemplation about your “Yes” to God?

The hymn of praise, with a lot of meaning from life-experience was the Magnificat of Virgin Mary. Mary’s soul always sang praises to God Almighty, for the great things He has done throughout her life. Mary’s song of praise was the daily prayer for her and she sang it from her heart.

Her life was not a bed of roses, but filled with poverty, struggles and sufferings. She just said “Yes” to God. The virgin who is supposed to become the mother of God had gone through pain and anxiety than any women could think. Still her faith gave her strength to be committed to her response.

As a young virgin, she might have dreamed a lot like any other virgins in Israel. She had prepared herself completely to be the mother of God. Her preparedness gave way to God’s salvation to mankind. When the time came for her to give birth to the child, she goes with her husband to enrol their names. Can anyone think of a pregnant woman, who is a refugee, still no place for staying even one day, travelling such a hard journey? When the labour pain begins, she had no place to give birth to the child. The silent cry of the new-born might have silenced the cattle there. In that cold night, mother might have searched for a good peace of cloth to cover the child. Saying “Yes” to God, requires a lot of struggles, humiliations etc.

The journey to Egypt and Nazareth was not an easy task. On the eighth day taking child to the temple for offering, and the prophecy of Simon was very heart breaking; still she contemplated and said “Yes”. When the child is lost in the temple, the agony of the mother is heavy. At the time people spoke very badly about her son, she contemplated. The day she heard that he was betrayed by one of his disciples whom she knew well but never expected, she couldn’t bear it.

When Jesus was in the hands of Jews like a criminal, being taken to Pilate and Herod, on the way when she met the beloved son carrying the big cross, the mother contemplates about her response to God. At last when the son is crucified and hanged on the cross, at the foot of the cross she contemplates silently and offers herself to the Will of Almighty. There too she sang the hymn of praise in her heart.

She knew that she was blessed because of the fruit. She found favour with God, not men. This favour is reflected all through her life. From that fullness of grace she sings the Magnificat. Only those people, who live in graceful life, can sing the Magnificat, even in difficult times of life.

Mary discovered God’s mighty works through her, in her faith. When she surrendered herself to become the channel of grace to humanity, she was aware of the meaning of sufferings in her life. She knew that the fruit in her womb is the mighty work of God. Her virginity has been glorified by the mighty One, and then she could praise the Holy Name of God. When grace filled in her, she became the model for all the virgins.

Mary had been taught by her parents about the religious tradition. She knew about God’s mighty hand Israel experienced and she acknowledges it proudly in the form of praise. It is very important to know one’s own religious tradition from a faith perceptive, which will enhance one, especially when he/she is in struggle. Mary, who knew the mighty works God done through their ancestors and Israel, especially the exodus experience (Ex.15:1-21) had not doubted God but believed in His Mighty works through her.

Those who humbled themselves had been lifted high by the Lord. David, the shepherd, became the powerful weapon in the hands of God. To slew down Goliath, the symbol of evil, God uses little boy David and his technique with sharp stones. For the world it might be foolishness, but God to work miracle, our complete trust in Him is needed. The modern Era is filled with Goliath, who threatens the moral life. The Goliath of abortion, lesbian marriage, gay marriage, phonographic, Paedophilia are mighty ones who stand tall against Catholic Church and its virtues.

If somebody is ready, rise up like David and fight against it by trusting completely in God. Mother Theresa picked up unwanted ones from the gutter and showed the world Church values? One might be having only few simple stones against the proud protection of the mighty weapons of the world. The beads of rosary could become the miraculous weapon in one’s hand. Those who gain strength from those beads of rosary continuously, will be able to sing like mother Mary about the falling of powerful ones in this modern time.

God always fills the hungry. The poor are known as Yahweh’s anawim. When they cried God listened to them. They are very close to God, whereas the rich may forget God. The poor widow who is appreciated by Jesus is an example. Since the rich may not see the works of God’s right hand, due to their richness, they often go away from God with an empty heart.

Mary knew that the fruit in her womb is the fulfilment of the promise. The promise made to the fathers and Israel. She could have stopped the hymn of praise with the conception of the Word, but she does continue the Magnificat in her whole life.

- – - written by Fr. Biju Maramkuzhackal SVD