Resolution: Let the Lord’s face shine upon me

Administrators

January is coming to a close, and while 45 percent of us will make resolutions only 8 percent will be successful at achieving them, according to a survey by the Opinion Corporation.  Let us resolve to create new habits and refresh our spiritual life in this new year.

Our New Year’s Day Masses rang with Blessing’s from our Lord;

The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!
 – Numbers 6:24-26a – A blessing for us to be enthusiastic, to be living in God.

St. Augustine gave us advice on how to let the Lord’s face shine upon us. He proposed giving alms, opening our hearts to the word of God, fasting, and rushing to Church. Think about it, at Church, the Lord’s face truly shines upon us from the tabernacle, from the proclamation of Scripture, from those around us, and especially at the elevation of the Sacred Host, and Precious Blood.

At the beginning of this New Year let us take the advice of St. Augustine, letting the face of our Lord shine upon us daily, living more and more in God, living En Theos, living life enthusiastically. Fight the temptation to be lukewarm, do something more this year; going to an extra Mass during the week, pray the rosary every day, a holy hour with the Eucharist every week, more time with Scripture, more spiritual reading. (Fr. Ankley, New Year’s Day homily, January 1, 2019)

Five great Ideas!

Add one of these simple, practical faith builders to improve your spiritual life in the new year and beyond.

  1. Go an extra day to Mass – The Sacrifice of the Mass is the source and summit of our faith and our very lives! Find a daily Mass that fits your schedule, or attend daily Mass on your day off. Just 30 minutes of your day! https://discovermass.com/
  2. Pray the rosary – As Catholics, we know -we do not merely believe, we know, that the rosary is the most powerful recitation we can make when we desire a miracle or some other grace from God. By reflecting on Our Most Holy Mother’s experiences and the life of Jesus, we become more like the woman who bore all things for the sake of obedience to God’s will.
    Find a new rosary for a new life of devotion to Our Holy Mother.
  3. Spend a holy hour with the Eucharist – You Affect The Lives Of Every Person
    In The World During Your Holy Hour
    From the quotes of our Popes and Saints concerning Holy Hours of adoration, we can see how much importance they placed on adoration for a healthy spiritual life. The power of each Holy Hour that we make can be gleaned from these writings. These writings tell us that our Holy Hour is more powerful than anything in this world outside of Mass. Check out Our Catholic Prayer website to learn more about the value of a holy hour.
  4. Read Scripture – Many people resolve to read the entire Bible each new year. Too few Christians have actually followed through with this though. What kind of reading plan is best? The one you’re going to finish. If you get behind, it’s okay, just pick up where you left off. Or just do five minutes for the first month of the year and pray, “Lord, make this a delight to me.” Does sticking to a plan sound intimidating? Have you tried it before and failed? People can make an impossible plan possible. Grab a couple friends and commit to a plan together. Read the daily readings on myParish App or at usccb.org.
  5. Journey with a Saint – Use this fun Saint name generator to learn about a new Saint and include them in your journey of faith throughout the year. http://saintsnamegenerator.com/

As this new year gets underway, let’s begin it in the faith and confidence that belongs to those who believe in Jesus Christ, as you receive God’s special blessing for you:

In this new year may The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! Within our heart let us hear these words every day.