December 29, 2024
It’s that time of year when many are thinking about what they can do differently in the year to come. What have you been thinking about? Perhaps something with health, finances, or family dynamics? There often seems to be so much to work on that we can easily forget to set goals for our relationship with God and His Bride the Church. These don’t need to be overly ambitious goals. In fact, if and when we make our goals more attainable we are much more likely to achieve what we set out to achieve, and then some. How could Advent 2025 look if you set some reasonable goals to pray more and do more for those in need? Great things are coming and we get there by taking small steps all along the way. Some goals for consideration:
Watch The Chosen – I have spoken about this show on several occasions and a group of us have been watching Season 1 in the Saint Aloysius Lower-Level on Sunday afternoons at 4 PM for our weekly Vespers & Formation. It is an amazing series that follows the lives and conversations of the disciples, and those who interacted with Jesus while He walked amongst us. It is really well done and you can find it in a number of places online. There is The Chosen app which is an easy way to watch and cast the show from your device. If you are able to join us on Sunday afternoons that would be great or you can watch it on your own. Let me know what you think!
Pray More – I know I can sometimes sound like a broken record, but it is really important to recognize the way in which prayer infuses our lives with purpose and connection. One easy way that you can pray more is to take time each day with either the daily readings, or the Sunday readings. Either will work just fine. The daily readings will give you more variety, but the Sunday readings will allow you to delve deeper into God’s work. You really can’t go wrong when it comes to spending time in the Word of God. Perhaps this is the time to get a new Bible and really make a commitment? A new translation is being highly praised. It is called the Ignatius Study Bible and considering it has taken 26 years of dedicated work from some holy and brilliant disciples, I think it is well worth the investment.
Volunteer – A healthy parish has many opportunities to get involved. For one – Fish Frys will be getting started soon and we can always use volunteers to help with those. Is there a ministry that you would like to get involved with but can’t seem to find? Please let me know and I’d be delighted to help you get something going!
Start a Prayer Journal – This is something that I have personally felt drawn to in the past several weeks. There are a number of different types of prayer journals and a number of different ways that they can be formatted. A blank journal is certainly a possibility, but I am more drawn to a Daily Examine Journal. I plan on purchasing a number and giving it a go. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Any way you look at it, it’s a great time to renew your commitment to the Lord!
Two Parishes, One Heart
Fr. Adam