Our New Year's Resolutions

It is that time again when we take some time to reflect and take stock on our accomplishments and failures over the past year. Also to again make resolutions for the coming year. We think of things like: weight loss, exercising, do more work, do less work, and so on. Well the Church puts a beautiful Feast day right at the end of the calendar year; The Feast of the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph). I believe we should use this wonderful feast day to take stock of how we strengthened the christian family unit and our church family unit over the past year. Secondly we should use it as the core of our resolutions for the new year.



Lets make a resolution to strive to be Christ like in this hardened world. To form and strengthen the family unit and to strengthen and expand our church family unit. We look at the world and see no world peace, hunger in every country, and the abuse and lack of dignity of the human person. We see these things and say I'll never make a difference and the world will never change. We maybe right looking at the world on such a large scale. One thing I know we can change is ourselves. Our relationship with God and his boundless love for us enables us to better our lives and the lives of our family. Striving to be Christ like in every thing we do will change us for the better. It will have a positive effect on those around us and eventually God's love working through us can change the world. It starts with the family unit. In Luke's Gospel (2.39-40) When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom and the favor of God was upon him.



Though God's favor was upon him, it was his parents that had the responsibility to teach him the things of this world. As it is our responsibility to teach our children and those around us of God's love for us in this world. We do this with love. Like the song states "They will know we are Christians by our love by our love yes they will know we are Christians by our love".

By using the example of the Holy Family we can form a resolution of being more Christ like. How can we do it? I will give you five areas that you can use to form concrete resolutions for the upcoming years: 1. Be in the presence of God. Keep God in the forefront of whatever you do. 2. An absence of criticism. With the lack of criticism you can provide love to your fellow man no matter what the faults. 3. Absence of complaint. With a lack of complaining you can focus more on the positives and the beauty that is this world. Being of service. Coming straight from the Beatitudes, what you have done for the least of my brothers you have done for me. 5. Be a peacemaker. Always strive to being people and societies together.

May God bless us in this new year, keep our families safe from harm and may his endless love bring us closer to Him.