Looking Back and Looking Forward: The Present Moment

January 1, 2026

Jonny Gios on Unsplash

At the turn of the year, there is a moment of stillness. A pivotal point from where to look back on the years gone by and turn to look at the years ahead. The contemplatives discovered that living in the stillness and God-ness of the present moment was something to aspire to, but as always, we learn much from contrasts. So, taking a moment to look back and look forward may help to still us — in the still center of the turning world.

Looking back over the year, perhaps with the help of your calendar, or your timeline of photographs on your phone, where did you meet God this year?

In big drama events and

small day to day happenings,

in people you encountered,

in things you tried and failed

or tried and succeeded,

in the beauty and sorrow of the cycle of life and death and creation

in family,

holy

and unholy,

in your own mind and heart…

Pause there for a moment. The present moment.

What the saints have called “The sacrament of the present moment.”

The challenge is to simply accept it

And then revealed in each new moment, we meet “I AM,”

the mystery of Divine Love.

As the word of God speaks creation into being,

All is held in infinite love.

Give thanks.

Looking forward now to each moment of new beginning,

Where do you need to begin again?

What do you need to begin again, in each moment?

And with a reassurance,

The flower doesn’t know it’s a new year, nor the river,

Nor the mountain.

“So, hear the call of the moment

Be open as the flower who,

Not knowing nor asking

The time of her coming or going,

Breathes deep and

Simply blooms.”

Inspired from “Still Points: A Guide to Living the Mindful, Meditative Way” by Brother Richard, an Irish Capuchin Friar.

One More Circle – Peter Mayer, Million Year Mind (2015).

https://youtu.be/ksd0ACUvGdo (lyric video)

We have been weighed down by sadness like a stone

And we have yearned, we have yearned

And we have sometimes felt so utterly alone

While we turn, while we turn

And we’ve been stricken by the wonder of it all

Stricken dumb, stricken dumb

And we have sometimes felt so faint we want to fall

Overcome, but all in all

I’d say this year in flight together has been fun

What say we make one more circle around the sun

We have raised our fists in anger and we’ve tried

To work it out, work it out

That we need each other, we cannot deny

There is no doubt, there is no doubt

So let us weave another dream in outer space

While we’re turning, while we’re turning

On this planet home that holds our human race

We still are learning, but all in all

I’d say this year in flight together has been fun

What say we make one more circle around the sun

I’d say this year in flight together has been a good, good one

What say we make one more circle One more circle

One more circle around the sun