A New Year of Grace: Looking Back with Gratitude and Forward with Hope
July has always felt like a time of renewal for me. As an accountant, the start of a new financial year brings an opportunity to close one chapter, review what has been achieved, learn from what could have been done differently, and begin again with a sense of purpose. While balance sheets and financial reports help us measure our work, they also remind me of a deeper spiritual practice: taking stock of our lives before God.
As members of the Little Company of Mary family, we are invited to reflect on the year that has passed with gratitude and to look towards the future with hope. What blessings have we received? Where have we experienced God’s presence? How have we shared compassion, kindness and understanding with those around us? When I look back on the reflection I wrote about the seasons of life in December 2023, I realise I was emerging from a period when I felt broken and uncertain. At the time, I was trying to make sense of difficult experiences and understand how the choices and challenges in my life were shaping me. Through prayer, reflection and taking stock of my life, I began to rediscover what truly matters and the person God was calling me to be.
Over the past three years, I have rebuilt my sense of purpose, strengthened my faith and developed a deeper appreciation for the lessons each season brings. While the journey has not always been easy, I can now look back with gratitude and see how God has transformed those difficult seasons into opportunities for growth, healing and hope.
This year, the centenary of Calvary Riverina Hospital in Wagga Wagga offers a powerful reminder of the legacy entrusted to us by the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary. For one hundred years, generations of Sisters, staff, volunteers and caregivers have continued the ministry of compassionate presence that began with Mary at the foot of the Cross. Their example challenges us to consider how we might continue that mission in our homes, workplaces, parishes and communities.
The Church is also encouraging us to be people of peace and hope through the Year of St Francis. In a world often marked by division and uncertainty, we are called to be instruments of reconciliation, kindness and care for one another. Small acts of compassion can have a lasting impact, often in ways we may never fully see.
As we begin this new month and new financial year, may we look back with gratitude, move forward with hope, and continue to live the Little Company of Mary charism through our presence, service and faith. Venerable Mary Potter reminds us that “it is not the greatness of what we do, but the way we perform it that will render us pleasing to God.” May God bless the year ahead and all those we are called to accompany on the journey.