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Dear friends

Happy New Year!

Each day as the Cathedral clergy gather for Morning Prayer we pray, ‘…as we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you.’ At the beginning of each day there is a choice to turn to the light of God’s loving presence.

There have been times, in the past couple of years, that I’ve been able to say these words wholeheartedly, but at other times, well, they have been said through gritted teeth. When a frozen shoulder was excruciatingly painful and I had not slept, the new day felt less like a gift than a new trial. Perhaps you too have faced difficulties during the challenges of recent years, many of us have. In times of disappointment or grief, anxiety, or illness, it is difficult to rejoice in a new day.

Yet, I find the practice of saying this prayer, even when I don’t feel it, does change things, because it changes me. Practicing being grateful, even in adversity, is a step of faith, an act of hope and a rebellion against despair. Being grateful is laying claim to the unchanging reality of God’s light and love even when these are clouded over by darkness and difficulty.

At the turning of the year and at the dawn of the new day we are invited to turn to the light.

There is a Wisdom story about a king who must decide which of his sons will inherit the kingdom. He sets the two boys a challenge. He takes them to the Great Hall and says, ‘My sons I want you to find some way of filling this Hall, and how you do it will help me decide who is to be my heir.’

The elder boy brought and piled up all his possessions, but the Hall was still not full. So, he carted in bales of straw and hay from the stables and finally the rubbish from the dump and at last the Hall was full. The younger boy saw it and set about clearing out everything. When the Hall was finally completely empty, he set a candle on a stool in the middle of the floor and lit it. The candlelight reached every corner and filled the whole Hall. ‘Well done son,’ said the King, ‘you will inherit the kingdom.’

In the year ahead the Cathedral intends to be, by God’s grace, a place of light and hope for everyone. Seeking to help people connect with God, with one another and with the earth.

We look forward to the turning of the seasons and festivals and to the Coronation of King Charles in May and, in early Autumn, to the Installation of a new Bishop of Winchester.

May each day of this new year bring the light and love of God into your heart, mind, and spirit.

I’ll close with a prayer for the New Year.

Lord of time and eternity

Give us grace to step into this new year with courage

to open ourselves to your light and love

and turn to the future with confidence and hope.

For as change happens all around us

your promises are faithful

and your love is everlasting.

In Christ’s name,

Amen

With blessings and best wishes,

The Very Revd Catherine Ogle

Dean of Winchester