As we say goodbye to 2017 and hello to 2018, it is common here in the western world to make new years resolutions in an effort to better ourselves for the new year. However, our modern culture tells us these should be about how we look, what we eat, or where we shop. All of those are good things; we should look presentable, should try to eat healthy, and we should buy products that support human rights. But many Christians are passing up on an opportunity to better themselves as followers of Christ. Today’s blog post is about what I am doing for the new year and lists some great resources to help you better your faith life and relationship with Christ.
My resolution this year is to memorize a Bible passage and reflect on it throughout the year. A close friend of mine told me about this and it sounded like a great idea to me. The passage I am starting with is Romans 12:9-12 (taken from NRSVACE):
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.
We all struggle with things and I am certainly no exception, so by doing this small thing, I hope to overcome at least a few of my personal issues.
Reflecting on Scripture is always a good action as we are reflecting on God, himself (recall the beginning of the Gospel acorrding to St. John). If you are thinking about doing this, find and pray about a passage that speaks to you. Sometimes it can be hard to find the right passage, so ask a close friend or a spiritual advisor to help you, just make sure you’re ok with giving them a little time.
Perhaps you want to reinvigerate your prayer life in general. Morning prayer is a great way to start your day. It sets the mood and asks God and the saints to interceed for you during the day. The following are a list of prayers that I start most morings with (no one’s perfect):
- Morning Prayer and Daily Offering
- Student Prayer
- Prayer for my future Spouse
- Reflections from Daily Companion for Young Catholics and Joyfully Living the Gospel Day by Day.
I also try to read the days Gospel readings (you can subscribe to those by email from the USCCB) and then Bishop Barron’s Daily Gospel reflections. The titles above are linked to places where you can purchase, find, or subscribe to these products.
Also, the Laudate app is excellent source for daily readings, and daily saint reflections. It also has a huge prayer database. You can download Laudate for Apple, Android, and Kindle.
Other resolutions that you can make include going to daily mass at least once a week (or more), recieveing the sacrament of Confession once a month (or more), or volunterring with you local Catholic charity or Parish.
Let’s bring in 2018 with hopes of achieving our ultimate goal, Heaven. Happy new year everyone!
Ps. New episode of EPIC Radio this Friday on Divine Mercy Radio and Saturday here!
EPIC Radio 