As we begin our new
year, let us take time to make some resolutions regarding our relationship with
God.
Scripture for
meditation: Jeremiah 9:22-23
Thus says the Lord: Let not the wise man glory in his
wisdom, nor the strong man glory in his strength, nor the rich man glory in his
riches; But rather, let him who glories, glory in this, that in his prudence he
knows me, Knows that I, the Lord, bring about kindness, justice and uprightness
on the earth; For with such am I pleased, says the Lord.
Christ instructs
us: John 4:23-24
Yet an hour is coming, and is already here, when
authentic worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Indeed, it is
just such worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and those who worship Him
must worship in Spirit and truth.
St. Francis de Sales
tells us: Human nature easily loses ground in what is good, through the
frailty and evil tendencies of the flesh, which weigh upon the soul and constantly
drags her down, unless she fights this by fervent resolution…. To this end, you
must frequently repeat and renew your devout purpose of serving God…He who
takes good care of his heart will wind it up towards God night and morning….
Besides this, he will, from time to time, examine his conscience, correct and
regulate it; and at least once a year he will take it to pieces and examine all
its parts in detail, in order to correct its defects… The devout Christian, after
examining his heart in order to renew it, should oil it with the Sacraments of
Penance and the Eucharist. These will restore your strength which time has
impaired, kindle your heart, revive your good resolutions, and cause the virtues
of your soul to flourish anew. The early Christians carefully practiced this
good work on the anniversary of our blessed Lord’s Baptism, when, as St.
Gregory Nazianzen relates, they renewed their professions and vows made in that
Sacrament. Let us do likewise, preparing with readiness and giving ourselves
seriously to the work.
Prayer: The Act of
Contrition
O My God, I am heartily sorry, for having offended thee;
and I detest all my sins, because of Thy just punishments. But most of all,
because they have offended Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all
my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more, and to
avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.
My thoughts: St.
Francis de Sales has outlined a beautiful path to firm resolutions in this work
An Introduction to the Devout Life. We
will spend the next few days with him as he takes us through a step-by-step
path to forming resolutions for the New Year, as they apply to our
relationships with God, Christ, ourselves, our neighbors, and our own soul’s
affections. We begin today by simply and honestly confessing to God that we
have not been all that we could have been in the past year; and with firm
resolve, we look to tomorrow to begin anew.
Our prayer to God: This
is a great day to ask the Holy Spirit to open our minds and hearts to the
“real” person we have become, and ask His strength and guidance to be honest in
the evaluation of what we find. “Come Holy Spirit, fill the heart of me, your
faithful servant, and kindle in me the fire of your love. Send me your
Spirit, and I shall be recreated, and help you renew the face of the earth.
Amen.”
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