With the New Year comes the question once again, “what is your resolution?” It’s not a bad idea. We learn from early on to pin our lives to special moments: development milestones, grades in school, tests, exams, graduations. Change is not easy. It can be very demanding. On the other hand, not to change is to stagnate. Often the little extra push of a special moment is needed to motivate us.

The typical occurrence this time of year is that we begin a project, a change, with great enthusiasm, then in a few weeks or months it falls by the wayside. This is also understandable. We need support and encouragement to follow through with any resolution or commitment. Happily, New Year’s is a clear opportunity.

But we are not left alone. We have family and community, neighborhood and parish to keep us on our journey. Ideally these assist us and give an extra push when necessary. The Liturgical Year provides more moments to motivate us. From Advent and Christmas we go on to Ash Wednesday and Lent. Then Holy Week comes along, rich with symbols and celebrations to inspire us. The Easter Season lasts 50 days and keeps emphasizing the meaning of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Even Ordinary Time is peppered with particular feasts and Holy Days. All of it is intended to keep us growing, changing, traveling with the Lord. As to what resolutions are worthy of us, it is enough to enter into prayer, meditate on the Scriptures, and simply ask the Lord, “what is my next step? Where do I go from here?”

If we are disappointed by our progress, or lack of it at times, we return to the God of Mercy for a fresh start. We take a lesson from Nature, that keeps trying and growing even when sometimes thwarted by conditions or by human intervention.

At this special moment we resolve to try again. If we do not see much progress, we try yet again. The process is too important to abandon. The goal is too vital not to be concerned. The challenge is great but also inspiring and enlivening.

“I resolve this New Year to…..”