New Year’s Spiritual Resolutions - January 2, 2022

Merry Christmas, Happy Epiphany, Happy New Year and Thank You! Thank you for all the cards, gifts, goodies, and prayers you have given to me! We continue to celebrate our Christmas season, especially this Sunday with the Epiphany. We also enter a new year of 2022. Have you made a New Year’s resolution? I’ll save you the trouble of googling it—below is a list from a Nielsen survey from a few years ago of the top ten most common resolutions and what percentage of people make them. Of course, I have to add my own commentary to it. :)
 
  1. Stay fit and healthy, 37%. Don’t forget your soul. Bodies eventually do wear out, but your soul lasts forever. Is it healthy? Need some “soul food”? Consider getting more involved in parish activities, Eucharistic Adoration, and/or just more prayer and faithfulness to attending Mass.
  2. Lose weight, 32%. Sin is heavy. Drop off the burden of sin in the confessional; be a regular goer, how about monthly? Or pick of the practice of Friday fasting—abstain from meat or give up something you like.
  3. Enjoy life to the fullest, 28%. Amen! Jesus said, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) A full life is a life of love. How can you love more? Put God and others first, ahead of yourself.
  4. Spend less, save more, 25%. Sounds great to me, but maybe add “share more”? How about we learn to live simply (and share) so that others may simply live?
  5. Spend more time with family and friends, 19%. Let’s do it! But let’s remember God is Our Father, Jesus is our best friend, and hey, God’s given us a spiritual mother in Mary as well. Spend more time in prayer. And befriend and get to know a saint too.
  6. Get organized, 18%. Many people say they don’t like “organized religion.” Do they prefer disorganized religion? If so, I think we’ve got that covered too! How about volunteering at the parish to help make it a better place?
  7. Will not make any resolutions, 16%. St. Ignatius of Loyola says never make a change in a time of desolation. What that means in a time of discouragement, despair, all the down-ward pulling spiritual movements, we should hold fast to our resolutions made earlier in the light. If we make a change in the dark, we often don’t know the right way to go. So if you have previous resolutions made in a time of grace, renew them and hold fast!
  8. Learn something new/new hobby, 14%. Yes! I’m certain there is plenty for each of us to learn more about our faith. Sign up for an adult education class or get a good Catholic book.
  9. Travel more, 14%. Do I hear “pilgrimage”? That might still be tough in our COVID world, but there are plenty of local holy sites around, sometimes just the Catholic Church across town or a shrine in a nearby city.
  10. Read more, 12%. How about the Bible or good spiritual reading? If reading is hard, what about a Catholic podcast? How about Fr. Mike Schmitz’s Bible in a Year podcast?
 
I hope and pray we all have a blessed 2022 filled with great faith, hope, and love!
 
Peace,
Fr. Greg