Magnificat Vol. LVIII, No. 1 3 N the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and of the Mother of God. Amen. At the dawn of this New Year, on this first day of the New Year dedicated to our Heavenly Father, on our behalf, on your behalf, my brothers and sisters, we want to present our best wishes to our Heavenly Father. We have been chosen to be the praise of His glory,1 says Saint Paul. With all the intensity and fervor of our heart, we will begin by saying to the Eternal Father that we want to be a praise of glory for Him, and that for His glory, we want to employ all that He has created within us: our heart, our soul, our will, our memory, all our faculties, our entire being. — CHRISTIAN PATIENCE 1The watchword for this year is PATIENCE. Father Adolphe Tanquerey gives us the definition of it in his Treatise on Theology: Patience is a Christian virtue that gives us the strength to withstand with equanimity of soul, for the love of God, and in union with Jesus Christ, all physical and moral sufferings.2 1. Cf. Ephesians 1:6,12. 2. Fr. Adolphe Tanquerey, P.S.S., The Spiritual Life: Treatise on Ascetical and Mystical Theology, pp. 511-512, no. 1088. See page 12 in this issue. I wish for you this Christian virtue of patience. However, there is also a worldly patience in which someone keeps his composure by a certain restraint, to create an image and impress his entourage, to arrive at human, earthly ends. This is not the kind I am referring to. The primary intention of the virtue of patience which we invite you to practice this year is first of all to give glory to God – but to give Him glory in a very special manner: by developing a conviction in our heart that if God sends us something to suffer, it is because He has an intention, a out of love for God and in union with Jesus Christ Wa t chwo rd f o r 2023: Wi sh : FatherMathurin of theMother of God
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