Merry Christmas, Happy Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, Happy New Year and Thank You! Thank you for all the cards, gifts, goodies, and prayers you have given to me and Fr. Andrew!
January 1st is the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, normally a holy day of obligation. It still is a holy day, but the obligation is lifted this year by particular rule since it falls on a Monday. In any case, though you are not obliged, it is a great day to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary and her motherhood and continue to come adore her child, Jesus.
We end the year of the Lord 2023 and begin a new year of 2024. It is traditional and carries a indulgence to pray the Te Deum on the final day of the year to offer thanks to God for gifts received throughout the course of the entire year and also to pray the Veni Creator on the first day of the year to implore divine assistance for the course of the whole year. I’ll let you look those prayers up if you are interested.
Have you made a New Year’s resolution? I’ll save you the trouble of googling it—below is a list from a very recent Forbes survey of the top five most common resolutions and what percentage of people make them (of those who make resolutions).
1. Improved fitness (48%)
2. Improved finances (38%)
3. Improved mental health (36%)
4. Lose weight (34%)
5. Improved diet (32%)
It seems most folks want to improve their physical, mental, or financial health. I wish spiritual health were on that list! Well, it can be on ours! Resolutions are really important in the spiritual life. We need to be intentional and determined in our spiritual life and not leave it up to what we feel like each day.
Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary defines “resolution” as:
The firm determination to carry into effect what a person has decided should be done. It includes some decision to use the means for putting resolution into practice. In spiritual theology a resolution implies a conversion of one's moral life, arrived at after due reflection and prayer.
Scripture describes some resolutions:
For I resolved to live according to wisdom, and I was zealous for the good; and I shall never be put to shame. (Sirach 51:18)
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s rich food, or with the wine which he drank; therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. (Daniel 1:8)
Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” (Acts 19:21)
To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his call, and may fulfill every good resolve and work of faith by his power, (2 Thessalonians 1:11)
Let’s resolve to improve in our spiritual lives. May God bless us this New Year and fill us with grace to carry out our resolutions!
Peace,
Fr. Greg