You woke up today in a brand new year. The calendar reset. The possibilities feel endless. But here is the question that matters most: are you running the race God has set before you, or are you still carrying weights that were never yours to bear? Hebrews 12 offers a vision so powerful it can reshape your entire 2026. You are not running alone. You are surrounded. You are called. And the finish line is closer than you think.
I’ve written a warm and encouraging biblical reflection for New Year’s Day 2026. The reflection:
– Opens with pastoral warmth, acknowledging the significance of this first day and first reflection of the year
– Unpacks the Hebrews passage with spiritual depth, exploring the “cloud of witnesses,” the call to lay aside weights and sin, and the central focus on Jesus
– Offers practical and encouraging application for readers facing the new year
– Maintains a tone that is both reverent and accessible
– Ends with a blessing and commissioning for the year ahead
Happy New Year, and may our Rise & Inspire ministry continue to bless many in 2026!
Daily Biblical Reflection –
Verse for Today (1st January 2026) is forwarded this morning by His Excellency, Rt. Rev. Dr. Selvister Ponnumuthan, upon whom Johnbritto Kurusumuthu wrote reflections.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
Hebrews 12:1-2
HAPPY NEW YEAR, LAUDETUR JESUS CHRISTUS
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we stand at the threshold of 2026, the Word of God greets us not with empty wishes but with a powerful vision for the journey ahead. This is the first reflection of Rise and Inspire for this year, and what better way to begin than by lifting our eyes to the race set before us.
The opening of this new year is not merely the turning of a calendar page. It is an invitation from God himself to run with purpose, to live with intention, and to press forward with holy perseverance. The author of Hebrews paints for us a magnificent picture: we are not running alone. A great cloud of witnesses surrounds us, the saints who have gone before us, the faithful men and women whose lives testified to God’s grace and whose examples inspire us still.
Think for a moment about what this means. Abraham, who stepped out in faith not knowing where he was going. Moses, who led God’s people through the wilderness. Ruth, who chose loyalty and love over convenience. David, who danced before the Lord with all his might. Mary, who said yes to God’s impossible plan. The apostles, the martyrs, the missionaries, the humble servants whose names are known only to God. They are all cheering us on, reminding us that the race can be run, that faith can endure, that victory is possible through Christ.
But this new year also requires something of us. We must lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely. As we enter 2026, each of us knows what those weights are. Perhaps it is worry that has grown heavy on our shoulders. Perhaps it is bitterness we have carried too long. Perhaps it is habits that drain our spiritual strength or relationships that pull us away from God’s best for us. Perhaps it is simply the clutter of distractions that keeps us from what truly matters.
The new year is God’s gracious opportunity for us to lay these things down. Not through our own strength alone, but by looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. He has gone before us. He has blazed the trail. He knows every obstacle we will face because he faced them first. And he did not merely start the race; he perfected it, completing it all the way to the cross and beyond to the resurrection.
This is where our eyes must remain fixed in 2026: on Jesus. When the year brings uncertainties, we look to Jesus who is our certainty. When challenges arise, we look to Jesus who is our strength. When we grow weary, we look to Jesus who is our rest. When we lose direction, we look to Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life.
To run with perseverance means we do not expect to sprint through this year and collapse at the finish line in exhaustion. Rather, we pace ourselves with wisdom, we remain steady in prayer, we draw strength from the sacraments, we encourage one another in community, and we keep our focus on the eternal prize that awaits us.
Dear friends, as you read this first reflection of Rise and Inspire for 2026, receive this as more than a meditation. Receive it as a commissioning. You have been called to run this year’s race. You have been surrounded by witnesses who prove it can be done. You have been permitted to lay down what weighs you down. And most importantly, you have been given Jesus, who will run with you every step of the way.
Let us run, then, not with fear but with faith. Not with hesitation but with hope. Not looking back at what was, but looking forward to what God will do. This is your year to rise. This is your year to be inspired. This is your year to run the race set before you with perseverance and joy.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May he look upon you with favour and give you peace, now and throughout this blessed year of 2026.
In Christ’s love and service,
Johnbritto Kurusumuthu
(Reflections written in honour of His Excellency, Rt. Rev. Dr. Selvister Ponnumuthan)
Biography of Rt. Rev. Dr. Selvister Ponnumuthan
Most Rev. Dr. Selvister Ponnumuthan is the current Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Punalur in Kerala, India.
- Born: August 10, 1956, in Uchakada village, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, India. He was the fourth son of N. Ponnumuthan Nadar and Thankamma, a Catholic family with roots in the Nadar community.
- Early Education and Vocation: After completing his schooling, he entered St. Vincent’s Minor Seminary in Thiruvananthapuram in 1972. He pursued higher studies, including college education at St. Xavier’s College, Thumba.
- Priestly Ordination: Ordained a priest on December 19, 1981.
- Advanced Studies: He earned a doctorate from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
- Academic and Administrative Roles: Upon returning to India, he served as a faculty member at St. Joseph Pontifical Seminary in Aluva (also known as Carmelgiri Seminary in some contexts). He held positions including Animator, Dean of Theology, Vice Rector (from 1998), and Rector (from 2008).
- Episcopal Appointment: Appointed as the third Bishop of Punalur on May 8, 2009, and consecrated/ordained on June 28, 2009, by Archbishop Maria Calistis Soosai Pakiam (with co-consecrators including Bishop Joseph Kariyil and Bishop Vincent Samuel).
- Current Role and Contributions: As Bishop of Punalur (a diocese established in 1985, covering parts of Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts), he has been active in pastoral work, seminary formation, and evangelization. He serves as Chairman of the Commission for Basic Ecclesial Communities in the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI). He is known for promoting methods like the “Seven Step Method of Gospel Sharing” and has appeared in devotional programs on channels like Goodness TV. He speaks Malayalam, English, and Tamil.
- Other Notes: Bishop Ponnumuthan is also an author of spiritual books and continues to inspire through daily Scripture verses shared for reflections (as seen in ministries like Rise & Inspire). In 2025, he met Pope Francis during a general audience in Rome.
He resides at the Bishop’s House in Punalur, Kerala, and remains actively involved in the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) and broader Indian Catholic Church activities.
© 2025 Johnbritto Kurusumuthu | Rise & Inspire Devotional Series
Word count:1353
