January is here, and it’s time to make the annual New Year’s resolutions again. We need to let the freshness of a new year be our impetus to make new strides in our walk with God! Here are some ideas to add to our list a spiritual.
1. Pray the Rosary more
Our Lady of Fatima made urgent pleas for mankind to reform themselves and pray her rosary daily, along with other grave messages and warnings with dire consequences for the entire world. Her messages were then authenticated on October 13, 1917 with an undisputed public miracle of biblical proportions, when an estimated 70,000 people were gathered to witness what became known as the Miracle of the Sun.
The way to turn back to God is the same way that God came to us-through the Blessed Mother. This year, let us commit ourselves to increasing our Marian devotion so that she may lead us to deeper conversion, to follow God’s will for our life more perfectly, and to increase our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
No Catholic list of New Year’s resolutions would be complete without a daily rosary added in. If you already pray the rosary daily, that is fantastic. Your resolution can then be to spread devotion to the rosary in 2018.
2. Make more time for spiritual reading
The brilliant St. Athanasius once said,
“You will not see anyone who is striving after his advancement who is not given to spiritual reading. And as to him who neglects it, the fact will soon be observed in his [lack of] progress.”
If you want to make progress in your walk with God, spiritual reading should be high on your list of resolutions. Resolving to focus more on God instead of on self should be every Christian’s top resolution priority.
Your best bet is to stick to the classics written by Catholic saints known for their practical spiritual wisdom-such as Teresa of Avila, Francis de Sales, Therese of Lisieux, and John of the Cross. The four Gospels and the letters of St. Peter and St. Paul are also excellent choices for reading, being the very inspired Word of God.
As you struggle with finding the time to read, make a list of books that you’d like to complete this year and pray that God will show you how you can find the time to read them. How about reducing TV time or cutting back on social activities. The time you spend feeding your soul is time well spent.
3. Set a time each day to pray
Start small. If you haven’t been praying daily at all, set aside just five minutes during your favourite part of the day. If you already pray daily but feel like you can do more, than choose a time of day when you aren’t praying to add additional prayer time in. In the mornings you can say a prayer to start your day. At 3 o’clock you can try the Divine Mercy Chaplet. And of course, if you aren’t praying the rosary daily, you can add those 15 minutes in during your day even if it ends up being while you’re driving.
4. Make good stewardship a lifestyle
Pope Francis has often spoken of the dangers of materialism, even writing an encyclical on the subject, Laudato Si, which calls us to greater justice in how we use the goods of this world. This boils down to one key concept in the life of the Christian: practicing good stewardship over the gifts God has given us.
This means good management of our “time, talent, and treasure” for the greater glory of God. As Jesus warned us in his parables, all of his servants will be judged on how they used the graces he gave them. Do we neglect them and spend them selfishly, or are we generous in building up God’s kingdom on earth? Prayerfully evaluate how you will spend your time, your talents, and your income to see what lifestyle changes you can make that will positively impact your spiritual life. Make it big. God cannot be outdone in generosity!
5. Go to confession
Some of us don’t get to confession nearly enough. The New Year is another opportunity to get in the habit by setting aside the time to go. Find out when confession is offered at your parish or another local parish. If you’re nervous, remember that your priest has likely heard it all in confessions over the years and will help you get through it.
6. Observe regular penances
Living a penitential life, even outside of Advent and Lent, is the Catholic way of life. All of the Church’s saints performed penances habitually, either internally or externally, great and small, for themselves and for others. Many do not know that the Fridays outside of Lent are also days of abstinence and fasting. Have you tried not eating meat on the Fridays? This gives special reverence to the day of the week on which Our Lord died on the cross. Perhaps engage in other penitential practice such as praying the Stations of the Cross, or even acts of service for the less fortunate.
What penitential practice can you do each Friday in 2019? Remember that penances aren’t meant to be pleasant at first, but the graces that come from them grow sweeter with time.
7. Increase your Giving
Helping others is a cornerstone in the Catholic faith. Most people don’t realize that the Catholic Church is one of the largest benefactors to the poor. A great resolution for 2019 should include an abundance of giving. If you cannot give financially, give of your time and talent. All of your contributions earn graces and will be greatly appreciated. Be sure to look in your parish bulletin for volunteer opportunities.
There are so many ways to live out your Catholic faith this year. Have a family meeting and make out a list of goals for your family to strive for. You will soon discover that living your faith will become second nature to you and a part of your daily life.
8. Go an extra day to Mass
Mass is not only the source and summit of our faith, it is the source and summit of our very life. Think of ways you can arrange your schedule and activities so that you can make it to Mass either an extra day each week, or a few extra days a month. If you have trouble with this due to a packed schedule, pray and ask Our Lord to help you find the time. Check all the parishes in your area and their Mass times and see what can be done, and remember that daily Masses are usually only 30 minutes long. If still impossible with your schedule, find out when your local parishes keep their doors open, and try to add time for Adoration outside of Mass, even if just for 15 minutes.
9. Share your Catholic faith with others
Most Catholics aren’t usually great about sharing their faith with others, but this is something that can change with practice. You don’t have to be overbearing about your faith, just focus on doing simple things like being joyful in your walk with Christ or inviting people to come to Mass with you. Another good idea is to buy some sacramentals in bulk, get them blessed, and hand them out to people as the Holy Spirit leads.
One small step toward improving your spiritual life is all you need to become a stronger Catholic in the New Year. With each step you take, you can follow it up with another when you’re ready.
Have a happy new year and may God bless you!
I have been thinking a great deal about my experience at Reconciliation this past Saturday. I felt an intense and unexplainable urge to go and confess my sins when I woke up that morning. I try to go every six weeks or so, but this was no routine visit to the priest for me. I needed to unburden myself of the numerous venial sins I had committed since I last participated in this Sacrament.
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