So the year 2011 has come and nearly gone. This past year I did not specifically compose any "Catholic Resolutions" as I have done in past years, but I would like to take some time to reflect upon some of my achievements this past year.
The year 2011 overall was a year without significant activity but I did have several personal milestones this past year.
In May, I earned my Artium Baccalaureus (Bachelor of Arts) with a major in Business Administration and a minor in Philosophy. The end of May marked my move to the city of Minneapolis where I lived in a downtown apartment until Thanksgiving.
June 1st marked my entry into a secular career, of which I found great opposition to adherence to Catholicism (e.g. abstaining from work on Sundays and all 1st Class Feast Days, refraining from crude and inappropriate jokes, etc).
The week of Thanksgiving ushered in a new era, as I was permanently laid off, forcing me to at least temporarily relocate back to the far south Chicago suburbs. While this newfound time again with my family is highly welcoming, I do miss the ability to frequently attend Masses at Immaculate Heart of Mary (SSPX) Chapel in St. Paul. Now I am driving around 60 miles each way to attend a Traditional Mass or Divine Liturgy.
So with six months of the year in a secular job that considered 40 hour work weeks to be "lazy," my ability to focus on the blog and on my other apostolates declined notably. Now, with more time to again devote to my online Catholic endeavors and the daily recitation of the Divinum Officium, I can again focus on cultivating a true Catholic life.
Thus, I would like to list my Catholic Resolutions for the upcoming year.
2012 Catholic Resolutions
1) Continue to pray the Rosary daily (at least 5 decades) along with Lauds, Prime, one of the day time offices (Terce, Sext, or None), and Vespers.
2) Increase my network of Catholics who attend the Traditional Sacraments in the greater Northern Illinois area.
3) Purchase many different books and build up my Catholic library further. I have an Amazon Wishlist for some of these items (along with some of my other interests). If anyone would like to send me one of these items, please know that you will be remembered in my prayers each day while I recite the Breviary at my home altar. I would specifically like to obtain a copy of the Liber Usualis, the Liber Hymnarius, a Summa Theologica, the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary (pre Vatican II version), Divine Intimacy by Fr. Gabriel, the Catechism of the Council of Trent (Hardcover), My Catholic Faith by Angelus Press, How Christ Said the First Mass by Meagher, The Holy Mass by Dom Prosper, and the Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco.
4) Continue to discern a vocation with a Traditional Order and try to save up more money so that, if I am called, I may more easily join one
5) Attend a 5-day Ignatian Silent retreat in February 2012 at the SSPX retreat center in Phoenix, Arizona
6) Seek to grow spiritually and avoid all of the sins that I have committed often in the past. As part of this, my goal is to make a weekly Confession.
7) Increase my proficiency in Latin through private tutoring, individual self study, and/or reciting liturgical prayers in Latin.
Additionally, I intend to post regular updates on this blog on the above goals and continue to provide you with inspiring Catholic content. As long time readers will notice, my blog does not post sacrilegious liturgies, reports of liturgical abuse, or other depressing stories. My goal is to continue to provide you with the devotions, prayers, and beliefs necessary to foster a traditional Catholic culture for yourselves and your families.
In addition to the above, I of course have several goals for 2012 for CatechismClass.com and will be working diligently each day in order to expand our programs, hire more employees, and deliver orthodox Catholic teachings. To be updated on developments in this area, please sign up for a free CatechismClass.com account and subscribe to our free newsletter. 2012 should be a very good year for CatechismClass.com.
2012 Catholic Resolutions (updated as of February 13, 2012)
After just returning from the five day Ignatian retreat (#5 mentioned above), I have updated an added to my resolutions:
1) 15 minutes of daily spiritual reading
2) Find a spiritual director
