New Years

As the ball drops and the champagne bottles pop, Catholics can easily find themselves in a post-Christmas rut, unsure of how to make the most out of a time which has become something of a secular limbo as the new year is ushered in with little to no thought.

When Pope Francis opened the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica to officially launch Jubilee Year 2025, little did anyone know that when it would close just over a year later, it would be at the hands of his successor on the See of Peter.

Perhaps most relevant at this time is that there is a well-known phobia fearing the arrival of the new year — neoannophobia — and as one would expect, a saint to counter this unease — St. Sylvester.

Imagine two doors before you. One wide. One narrow. You stand on the threshold. A moment of decision. The wide door hints at busy brightness behind. But the mere presence of another door is intriguing.