God has made us and takes responsibility for what he has created. He takes responsibility for the history of this world and even for every single person’s life. He has enveloped us in his grace, his love, and his faithfulness. When we bring our past and our worries, with all our foibles and weariness, into the new year, our faithful and merciful God goes with us. . . So, let us say goodbye to the past year. It was a year of the Lord, a year of grace, a year of inner growth, even if we did not feel it. After all, God’s strength achieves victory in our weakness. Thus, we really can praise God at the end of the year, and thank him, and give him honor, for he is good, and his mercy is everlasting.

– Karl Rahner