December 30, 2022
Dear Friends,
I hope you and your family had a great week. Hopefully you have had a chance to celebrate Christmas in some way whether it is with family/friends or curled up with a good book just relaxing. I mean I’ll be honest reading a book curled up by the fire just sounds good to me. However, as we know as much as we may want to do that daily, sometimes life does interrupt.
This weekend, we celebrate the NEW YEAR. If I am being honest, I feel like this is all a scam. New Year’s Eve has become so over commercialized that the tradition of celebrating the New Year is just blah to me. If you want to go out with friends prepare to pay ridiculous prices for a meal. If you are out on the roads, you need to be even more conscientious of those driving around you. What happens if you forget to text EVERYONE? Somehow you are in trouble. Don’t even get me started on the entire concept of resolutions.
New Year, new you, that’s the mantra. Did you know that according to Forbes by February 80% of people have forgone those resolutions? I have many opinions as to why this has occurred, but the main thing is that many of us set unattainable resolutions. I am going to lose all the _______ weight I’ve gained. I am going to pray at 6:00 every morning. We set ourselves up to fail, changing a habit is not that easy. I feel, and this is just opinion only, no scientific sources to back me up on this, that people need to be moderate in their resolutions. I am going to be healthier in my lifestyle. I am going to make better food choices. I am going to try to walk more. All the different small changes we can make to get into a healthier routine. I am going to try to pray each day, even if it is only for a minute. Instead of singing to myself in the shower, I am going to say a prayer or two. I will listen Catholic podcast that I like on my way to work.
We shouldn’t be suffering through our resolutions. They should be something that maybe is attainable, that will build upon the good habits we already have. This is what makes the difference in becoming a new you. However, if you falter or fail, it’s ok. We can’t base a mistake as being more important that all the good we have achieved. I use that same ideology for when people come to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We have the best intents when we come to confession and hopefully can avoid those things we came to confess. However, for me I will remind people that 10 days of success is great, maybe we failed on day 11, but we have 10 days of good, but also day 12 gives us a new chance.
We can’t become a new you in just a single day. We need to work towards it. With resolutions don’t set yourself up for failure on the first day. Every day is a new adventure, and a new chance to succeed. (I feel like a fortune cookie). Eschew what society tells us about the resolutions. Instead take the time to work on being the better you that we have all been called to be, not just what New Year’s tells us to do.
God Bless,
Fr. Brian
P.S. What falls in winter but never gets hurt? Snow!