VATICAN CITY (CNS) – This new year will be brighter only if everyone steps outside their safe havens, gets involved and works together to solve local problems, Pope Francis said.

May Mary “teach us to welcome God made man so that every year, every month, every day be overflowing with his eternal love,” he said on the eve of the Jan. 1 feast honoring her as Mother of God.

Leading the annual “Te Deum” prayer service in St. Peter’s Square to thank God for His blessings in 2013 and the gift of salvation in Christ, the pope asked people to reflect on how they spent the past year.

“Have we used it mostly for ourselves, for our own interests or did we know to spend it for others, too? How much time did we set aside for being with God, in prayer, in silence, in adoration?”

People should also reflect on how they used their time to contribute to their communities. The quality of life in a community – how it runs and looks – depends on everyone, he said in his homily.