To New Beginnings

“And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”

And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”

So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night....”

* * *

As another year of the unknown begins, to one and all here, may you and yours experience every one of its blessings, all good health, prosperity and happiness... and if and when things get tough, may we have the grace to hold on and know hope, remembering that it never fails.

Hopefully you're getting to enjoy your own cherished traditions for the calendar's start. Of course, we've got ours 'round here in spades, too, albeit not 'til the morning.

So with every good wish from our Street to yours, away we go:



And, for good measure, the annual Wenches Duel at daybreak:


Buon Anno a tutti -- Happy New Year, gang!

SVILUPPO: Lest we forget, for the 45th time, this 1 January brings the global church's observance of the World Day of Peace, 2012's papal theme dedicated to "Educating Young People in Justice and Peace."

Ergo, in fitting fashion for the day, let the old prayer go up... and may we each do our part to bring its vision closer to reality in the year ahead:


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