From the Editor

From the Editor

Spiritual New Year’s resolutions

While researching the topic of spiritual new year’s resolutions I found the following article and thought it would be great to share with our readers. It is reprinted with the author’s permission: I think most of us dislike New Year’s resolutions because we know we will somehow “fail” at meeting our high expectations, and we’re usually right. Losing a certain amount of weight, working out at the gym more often, cutting out sugar, etc., are usually futile attempts at making ourselves better in some way. But what if we attached spiritual resolutions to our lives and somehow connected what we do or don’t do with a deeper meaning and purpose? Here are 10 ideas for simple, practical ways you can improve your interior life in the new year and beyond. Don’t be afraid to “fail.” Just keep moving forward and start anew.

Simplify your life

This isn’t just about reorganizing your shelves or cleaning out closets. Those are important and feel free to make that part of your resolution to simplify. But, in a spiritual sense, simplicity involves decluttering our mental and emotional states of being, too. Start to simplify by cutting out 10 minutes of wasted time each day and using it for something productive.

Read one spiritual book per month

Let’s face it: Most of us say we “don’t have time” to read anything more than a fun fantasy novel or browse a fluffy magazine. While these aren’t in and of themselves bad, why not swap some time spent reading something that will inspire you to grow in virtue and rid your life of vice?

Attend a weekend retreat

If you plan ahead, you can make the time for a weekend retreat once per year. Yes, it’s going to involve a bit of a stretch with your schedule, but if you commit to it, you won’t regret it. The best part about attending a retreat is that everything is already planned, so all you have to do is block out two days, pay your fee (if applicable), and show up.

Pray a decade of the rosary daily

This seriously takes maybe five to seven minutes of your time. Our family prays a decade a day with our kids at night before bed, and we offer an entire rosary on Sundays as part of our Sabbath celebration. The rosary is a very powerful prayer and often calms those who faithfully pray it. Even if you find yourself getting fidgety or distracted, keep pressing forward with it and persevere.

Volunteer

This can be for anything. You might discern that volunteering suits your entire family. Discuss with your spouse and children what options seem to be the best fit for where your concerns and gifts are. In my family, our oldest daughter is very concerned with the plight of the poor and homeless. We have fostered this longing to help them by encouraging food drives and collecting donations instead of birthday presents. Eventually, we plan to volunteer at our local food pantry or homeless shelter.

Keep the Sabbath holy

A lot of people consider Sundays to be “just another day” of the week. Unfortunately, many Catholics have also made Sunday another day to cram in extra work around the house or to run errands. It’s because we are otherwise so busy that Sunday is almost a necessity for getting something accomplished. Spend Sundays together as a family. Worship together, pray together, rest, spend time in quiet, take a nap!

Start a prayer journal

This doesn’t have to be complex. A simple spiral notebook kept at your bedside – or wherever you spend time in prayer – suffices. Make a daily habit of writing whatever spiritual thoughts inspire you. Sometimes this might be a gratitude list, a simple prayer, a letter to God, or a quote from a saint or Scripture. Revisit your journal when you find yourself in a spiritual slump for encouragement.

Give your failures, weaknesses and sins to God

The worst mistake we can make in our spiritual journeys is to give up when we do not meet our expectations or goals. There will be times in your calendar year when you are unable to fulfill your spiritual commitments, perhaps due to an injury, illness, accident, death, or supremely busy period of life. The point here is to offer up your discouragement, disappointments, and frustrations to God as a prayer. (Jeannie Ewing is a Catholic spirituality writer. Her books include Navigating Deep Waters, From Grief to Grace, A Sea Without a Shore, For Those Who Grieve and Waiting with Purpose. She is a frequent guest on Catholic radio and contributes to several online and print Catholic periodicals. Jeannie and her husband have five children and live in northern Indiana. For more information, visit her website jeannieewing.com.) BC

Lawrence

Church Life

American Indian Mass

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre was the main celebrant of the American Indian Mass celebrated recently at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Pointe-aux-Chenes. Parishioners and people from across the diocese gathered to celebrate the Mass under a tent due to damages to the church. A reception was held after the celebration.

Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier