How do we celebrate the New Year?

At the beginning of both the Coptic and Gregorian years, as well as the beginning of a new year in one’s own life when celebrating a birthday, we have become accustomed to spending some time in seclusion to thank God for His wonderful dealings with us and to reevaluate our life in preparation for starting a new year. St. John Chrysostom was against the celebration of birthdays, given the birthday behavior of kings and emperors such as Herod the King (Matt. 14:6–11) and Belshazzar (Dan. 5).

On the first day of the little month, as the beginning of a new Coptic year approaches, the Church gives us a splendid example of personal encounter with the Savior in the Gospel of the liturgy for that day (John. 21:15–25), which recounts Simon Peter’s meeting with Christ on the shore after His resurrection — perhaps so that we might emulate him. We note in this passage:

638 Derchain, Chronologie d’Egypte (Cairo, 1954).

• a. The Lord of Glory initiated the encounter.

• b. After the Master sat with the disciples, He sat with Simon Peter (perhaps in private), or spoke to him in the presence of the disciples, for He was aware of Peter’s longing to speak with Him (John 21:15).

• c. Simon Peter’s heart was broken because he had denied the Lord despite the Lord’s warning. Unusually, Simon was silent; but his heart was crying out, “Lord, open the door for me to speak with you, for I have nothing to say.”

• d. May we ask the Lord Himself to direct our encounters with Him. He is the one who initiated the conversation with Zacchaeus the tax collector (Luke 19:3), the Samaritan woman (John 4:7), and here with Simon Peter (John 21:15).

• e. The Lord initiated the conversation with him, and in the spirit of love asked him, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” (John 21:15). Peter’s tone changed and he did not blurt out his answer, but with a contrite heart and a quiet voice he said, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He had previously said, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” (Matt. 26:35).

Truly, God prepared humanity through the generations for every person and indeed every nation to discover the sins into which they have fallen. When the Lord appeared to Adam after the fall, Adam ought to have confessed his sin rather than blame the wife the Lord had given him. In contrast, the Samaritan woman acknowledged her sin (John 4:18). And the Lord gave us the example of the Pharisee and the tax collector; not to shame the tax collector, but that we might not fall into the hypocrisy and arrogance of the Pharisee — that we might imitate the tax collector who confessed his sin, saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (Luke 18:13). What the Lover of humanity urges us to do is focus our eyes on Him as the Forgiver of sins who is able to bestow upon us His righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30).