Happy New Year!
As we begin a new calendar year, many people have the custom of “turning over a new leaf” by making some resolutions to change something about their lives or to accomplish some monumental task within the following 365 days (Due to this being a leap year, we have an extra day to accomplish our resolutions!). For some, it may be a resolution to quit smoking or lose weight. A couple years ago, I made a very specific resolution to run the Chicago Marathon—one of the few New Year’s resolutions I have ever successfully completed. Like any monumental task, this resolution required a good amount of planning and the completion of many smaller tasks along the way. However, the sense of accomplishment at crossing the finish line after 26.2 miles validated all of the smaller sacrifices made along the way.
As we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany this weekend, we are reminded of the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh brought by the Magi for the Divine Child, Jesus. On the one hand, it may be a misnomer to refer to these things as “gifts” since they are really being presented back to the One who created them, but since He has entrusted us as stewards of the earth and of our own lives, then we are capable of offering him gifts of our own. In that regard, I would like to link the notion of a New Year’s resolution with the concept of offering a gift to the Lord—a gift we might renew each day for the next 366 days!
What would you like to offer as your gift to the Baby Jesus for the coming year? It need not be on a monumental (or even a marathon) scale. Still, you may be surprised how a small gift of your time each day can add up over the year, and the spiritual rewards the Lord will bestow upon you will only increase your joy in giving to the Lord.
Here are a few ideas for a New Year’s resolution which can also be offered as a gift worthy of the Divine Child:
1. Daily Scripture (and Catechism) reading. There are some excellent editions of the Bible which are formatted for daily reading. I recommend you purchase one of the Catholic editions as these include the books which are sometimes omitted (or sometimes listed as “apocryphal”) in non-Catholic Bibles. The RSV-CE or the NAB are two examples of commonly available Catholic editions. There is also a great 2 page chart that divides the reading of the Bible and The Catechism of the Catholic Church into reasonable daily selections—and this can be used with any Catholic edition of the Bible. I will try to make copies of this chart available in the back of church for whomever may want it.
2. Attend an extra Mass each week this year! We worship as a community on Sunday in commemoration of the Lord’s Resurrection. This is our observance of “Sabbath worship”. But we have many other opportunities during the week to attend Mass. Imagine the positive impact it would make on your spiritual life if you were to attend just one extra (weekday) Mass each week. Consult www.masstimes.org for convenient daily Mass times near your home or workplace.
3. Ten minutes of daily Spiritual Reading. This could encompass classical and contemporary works on the spiritual life—apart from Sacred Scripture. Set a timer for 10 minutes, and read from a spiritual book until the buzzer sounds. Again, you will be surprised at the positive impact this practice has on your personal spiritual development. While there are many wonderful works to choose from, you might consider one of the short and accessible works by Fr. Jacques Philippe—you can preview his books online at: www.frjacquesphilippe.com/books
4. Pray a daily Rosary or the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, or BOTH! These are simple, tried and true devotional prayers which provide us with the opportunity to meditate upon Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, and to develop a healthy devotion to Mary who always points to her Son.
May the Lord multiply and return whatever gift you offer Him. -Fr. Joseph Totton