As we approach the beginning of the New Year, many people make resolutions to improve their health, careers or relationships. Might I suggest that the most important New Year’s resolutions are ones that will strengthen our faith and deepen our relationship with the Lord? I will humbly offer you a few very simple things to consider as resolutions for the coming year.
· Make a resolution related to Sunday Mass. If you’re not currently an “every Sunday” Mass-goer, start there. If you are, then challenge yourself to take one step deeper, whether that means getting to Mass 5 minutes earlier, or committing to read the Sunday readings earlier in the week (usccb.org/readings).
· Make a resolution related to daily prayer. It can be as simple as adding 5 minutes a day to your daily prayer routine, or setting your phone to alert you to pray the Angelus at noon each day, or having a prayer that you say right before you go to bed each night.
· Make a resolution related to Christian service. If you’re not currently in the habit of regular service, challenge yourself to make a once-a-month commitment. This could be through a formal parish ministry, like St. Vincent de Paul, or on your own, such as helping an elderly neighbor.
· Make a resolution related to sin and virtue. Think of the one sin with which you struggle the most, and commit to one habit that you can practice over the year to grow in the opposite virtue. Make confession a regular part of your spiritual discipline.
Like I said, these things are simple — easy to understand, not very time-consuming. But if you stick with any one of these simple resolutions throughout the year, I am 100% positive that 2025 will be a year of tremendous spiritual growth for you. Give it a shot. It could turn 2025 into a year that transformed your faith forever.
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