According to the New Age, the Year 2012 is the year of Nibiru, the year when an unknown planet (Planet X, or Nibiru) will collide with our planet Earth which will bring an end to it and to humanity. According to the prophets of doom, this will happen in December 2012, in twelve months time.

Is it a coincidence that this year, precisely next December, we Christians would be celebrating the 2,000 Anniversary of a unique incident in the hidden life of Jesus? St Luke and St Matthew give us some narratives with regard to the birth of Jesus. St John gives us the deepest theological meaning of Jesus’ Birth, telling us that: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:1,14). However, until Jesus came out into the public to start His mission by being baptized by John the Baptist (when Jesus was thirty years of age, according to Luke 3:23) we know nothing of Him. Except for one strange incidence when He was 12 and was lost and found by His parents after three days searching for Him. St Luke tells us that they found Him in the Temple “sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions” (Luke 2:46).

Therefore, as we approach the 2000th commemoration of this event, we need to prepare our selves to face so many questions. Even today, Jesus has alot of questions He would like to put to each and every one of us.

Is it a coincidence that this year, precisely next December, when the prophets of doom are telling us that we shall see our end, we Christians would be celebrating the 2,000 Anniversary of Jesus being found again after three days of being lost and of searching?

Is this the year when we shall loose everything, having long lost sight of God? Or is this the year when humanity and the Church will find Jesus afresh?

Whom are we to believe? The prophets of doom or the Evangelist of the Spirit of God and of the poor?

Whom do you believe? You might ask me the same question. Or you may not ask me the same question, assuming that you know already what my answer would be. Or you might just the same want to ask me the same question, as if to rely on my answer. But would it make any difference to you what my answer is? Would it make any difference for me what the majority of men and women believe? Is this a question of majority? Can we change our destiny by having a referendum? Can we change truth and reality by voting about them? Can I believe for you? Or can anybody believe for me? With regard to faith, can one be right and everybody else be wrong? Can you ever come to convince yourself that you are wrong just because everybody else belief the contrary? Can anybody live in peace with himself and go against the dictates of his conscience?

Therefore, independent of what I and everybody else believes, you need to seek to give an answer for yourself to this question. Is this the year of doom or the year of grace? Do you believe that you shall be loosing, maybe more than what you have already lost, or do you believe that you shall find Treasure of Great Price?

Fr Paul Fenech