Typical of Chinese New Year are the many articles on what our future will be like. The Year 2024 is the Year of the Dragon and there are those, accordingly, who will have a good year, those who will have a bad year, and those who will avoid bad luck if they do this and that. 

Typical of Chinese New Year are the many items that are supposed to bring good luck or ward off bad luck.

Typical of Chinese New Year, there will be firecrackers and a dragon dance to ward off bad luck. 

When you ask Catholics why they do all of these, they will always say, “It won’t hurt.” But if you look deep down into their psyche, superstitious practices are an indication that we lack trust in God.

• “God will not spare me from bad luck, hence this item will”
• “God will not give me money, hence this frog with the coin in its mouth”
• “It is so hard to pray, looking at the horoscope is easier and faster”

The Gospel reminds us that when it comes to matters of faith, we reap what we sow. If we have shallow faith in God, we won’t see his many miracles and wonders in our lives. However, if we trust God all the way, we will realize that with him nothing is impossible. 

Hence three ways to deepen our trust in God:

1. Gratitude is the memory of the heart. If we journal the many wonderful ways of God in our lives, it would be very nice to go back in time and remember how wonderful God is. Further, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. 
2. Hope. We will hit rock bottom sometime in our lives, ready or not. While it is very easy to ask God, “Why me?” A person who trusts God would ask, “What Lord are you telling me in a time like this?” For a person who trusts God, everything happens for a reason and purpose. 
3. Do what is right. Why do what is right when everyone looks the other way and becomes richer? Never forget that God sees everything and he will always reward the good. On the other hand, remember the words of Christ, “What profit does it gain a person to have the whole world and lose his soul.” 

In this Mass, we thank God for the gift of faith. As we stay longer here on earth, we pray that our faith and trust in the Lord deepen. When we hit old age, with all its challenges,  hopefully, we have the capacity to be happy because we know that God can be trusted.