12 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR CATHOLICS

Each year, I have made what I call "Catholic Resolutions."  These New Year's Resolutions are not centered on losing weight, eating more vegetables, or securing a raise. I make resolutions for all facets of my life, including these.  Rather, these resolutions each year are centered around my spiritual life.  I encourage all of you to make resolutions specifically geared toward improving your own Faith life and your own knowledge of the Faith.  One's spiritual health needs the same care - if not more - than our physical, financial, or professional health.

Ask yourself:

1. Do I know the Faith that I profess to believe in?  If not, how can I learn more?  For example, CatechismClass.com has an ideal Adult Course just for this purpose.
2. Am I truly living a Catholic life?  Am I learning more prayers?  Am I helping others to learn the Faith and live it out?  Do I regularly receive the Sacraments?
3. Do you struggle with certain sins or addictions? What actions do I need to take to really conquer them?
4. Do you need to make more donations to Catholic organizations or pro-life charities?
5. What is my dominant fault, and how can I tackle it and grow in virtues?
6. What additional days of penance can you observe as days of fasting and abstinence? Can you observe the vigils of the apostles as fast days? What about all 40 days of Lent or the 40 days leading up to Christmas? Will you keep all days of Lent including Sundays as day of abstinence? There are many venerable ways we can practice penance this year and fulfill our Lady's call for "Penance, penance, penance." See the 2024 Catholic Fasting Calendar for ideas.

This is the time of year to truly set Catholic Resolutions, which will have eternal repercussions. Now is the time to actually make true and lasting Catholic Resolutions for the new year.

Some General Suggestions of Catholic Resolutions:

1. Pray the Rosary every day, if you are out of the habit of it
2. Pray Lauds, Vespers, and Compline (from the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary or the Divine Office) every day.
3. Say a prayer for the Poor Souls in Purgatory every day, such as the St Gertrude Prayer. Getting a copy of The Purgatorian Manual: Containing Spiritual Reading and Prayers for Every Day of the Month is also an excellent idea.
4. Attend Mass one day extra a week in addition to Sunday. And if you have fallen away from Mass, start going weekly again.
5. Make it a habit to go to Confession every 2 weeks. Ensure that you are sincere and actually detest your sins and desire to amend your life.
6. Fulfill the First Friday Devotion as well as the First Saturday Devotion.
7. Start wearing the Brown Scapular if you do not already. But ensure you are properly enrolled by a priest.
8. Determine what is your predominant fault and make a plan to fight it and conquer it this next year.
9. Make time for a morning meditation and mental prayer each and every day before work.
10. Identify one virtue to acquire and one vice to conquer this year. Make an action plan for how you will actually make progress on a daily and weekly basis to do so.
11. Make it a point to learn much more about the Faith. For example, CatechismClass.com has an ideal Adult Course just for this purpose.
12. Add additional days of penance in the form of fasting and abstinence and adopt the traditional suggestions in the 2024 Catholic Fasting Calendar.

I encourage you to make Catholic Resolutions. What are yours? Share them below in the comments box.

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Catholic Resolutions 2022

 

Visit "Better Than Eden" for a Printable Worksheet

Each year I have made what I call "Catholic Resolutions."  These New Years Resolutions are not centered on losing weight, eating more vegetables, or securing a raise. I make resolutions for all facets of my life including these.  Rather, these resolutions each year are centered around my spiritual life.  I encourage all of you to make resolutions specifically geared toward improving your own Faith life and your own knowledge of the Faith.  One's spiritual health needs the same care - if not more - than our physical, financial, or professional health.

Ask yourself:

1. Do I know the Faith that I profess to believe in?  If not, how can I learn more?  For example, CatechismClass.com has an ideal Adult Course just for this purpose.
2. Am I truly living a Catholic life?  Am I learning more prayers?  Am I helping others to learn the Faith and live it out?  Do I regularly receive the Sacraments?
3. Do you struggle with certain sins or addictions? What actions do I need to take to really conquer them?
4. Do you need to make more donations to Catholic organizations or pro-life charities?
5. What is my dominant fault and how can I tackle it and grow in virtues?
6. What additional days of penance can you observe as days of fasting and abstinence? Can you observe the vigils of the apostles as fast days? What about all 40 days of Lent or the 40 days leading up to Christmas? Will you keep all days of Lent including Sundays as day of abstinence? There are many venerable ways we can practice penance this year and fulfill our Lady's call for "Penance, penance, penance." See the 2022 Catholic Fasting Calendar for ideas.

This is the time of year to truly set Catholic Resolutions which will have eternal repercussions. When so many have already begun to set aside last week's New Years Resolutions, now is the time to actually make true and lasting Catholic Resolutions for the new year.

Some General Suggestions of Catholic Resolutions:

1. Pray the Rosary every day, if you are out of the habit of it
2. Pray Lauds, Vespers, and Compline (from the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary or the Divine Office) every day.
3. Say a prayer for the Poor Souls in Purgatory every day, such as the St Gertrude Prayer. Getting a copy of The Purgatorian Manual: Containing Spiritual Reading and Prayers for Every Day of the Month is also an excellent idea.
4. Attend Mass one day extra a week in addition to Sunday. And if you have fallen away from Mass, start going weekly again.
5. Make it a habit to go to Confession every 2 weeks. Ensure that you are sincere and actually detest your sins and desire to amend your life.
6. Fulfill the First Friday Devotion as well as the First Saturday Devotion
7. Start wearing the Brown Scapular if you do not already. But ensure you are properly enrolled by a priest.
8. Determine what is your predominant fault and make a plan to fight it and conquer it this next year.
9. Make time for a morning meditation and mental prayer each and every day before work.
10. Identify one virtue to acquire and one vice to conquer this year. Make an action plan for how you will actually make progress on a daily and weekly basis to do so.

I encourage you to make Catholic Resolutions. What are yours? Share them below in the comments box.

Read more >>

Catholic Resolutions 2021

Visit "Better Than Eden" for a Printable Worksheet

Each year I have made what I call "Catholic Resolutions."  These New Years Resolutions are not centered on losing weight, eating more vegetables, or securing a raise. I make resolutions for all facets of my life including these.  Rather, these resolutions each year are centered around my spiritual life.  I encourage all of you to make resolutions specifically geared toward improving your own Faith life and your own knowledge of the Faith.  One's spiritual health needs the same care - if not more - than our physical, financial, or professional health.

Ask yourself:

1. Do I know the Faith that I profess to believe in?  If not, how can I learn more?  For example, CatechismClass.com has an ideal Adult Course just for this purpose.
2. Am I truly living a Catholic life?  Am I learning more prayers?  Am I helping others to learn the Faith and live it out?  Do I regularly receive the Sacraments?
3. Do you struggle with certain sins or addictions? What actions do I need to take to really conquer them?
4. Do you need to make more donations to Catholic organizations or pro-life charities?
5. What is my dominant fault and how can I tackle it and grow in virtues?
6. What additional days of penance can you observe as days of fasting and abstinence? Can you observe the vigils of the apostles as fast days? What about all 40 days of Lent or the 40 days leading up to Christmas? There are many venerable ways we can practice penance this year and fulfill our Lady's call for "Penance, penance, penance."

This is the time of year to truly set Catholic Resolutions which will have eternal repercussions. When so many have already begun to set aside last week's New Years Resolutions, now is the time to actually make true and lasting Catholic Resolutions for the new year.

Some General Suggestions of Catholic Resolutions:

1. Pray the Rosary every day, if you are out of the habit of it
2. Pray Lauds, Vespers, and Compline (from the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary or the Divine Office) every day.
3. Say a prayer for the Poor Souls in Purgatory every day, such as the St Gertrude Prayer. Getting a copy of The Purgatorian Manual: Containing Spiritual Reading and Prayers for Every Day of the Month is also an excellent idea.
4. Attend Mass one day extra a week in addition to Sunday. And if you have fallen away from Mass, start going weekly again.
5. Make it a habit to go to Confession every 2 weeks. Ensure that you are sincere and actually detest your sins and desire to amend your life.
6. Fulfill the First Friday Devotion as well as the First Saturday Devotion
7. Start wearing the Brown Scapular if you do not already. But ensure you are properly enrolled by a priest.

I encourage you to make Catholic Resolutions. What are yours? Share them below in the comments box.

Read more >>

Catholic Resolutions 2019

Each year I have made what I call "Catholic Resolutions."  These New Years Resolutions are not centered on losing weight, eating more healthy, or the like.  Rather, these resolutions each year are centered around my spiritual life.  I encourage all of you to make resolutions specifically geared on improving your own Faith life and your own knowledge of the Faith.  Ask yourself:

1. Do I know the Faith that I profess to believe in?  If not, how can I learn more?  For example, CatechismClass.com has an ideal Adult Course just for this purpose.
2. Am I truly living a Catholic life?  Am I learning more prayers?  Am I helping others to learn the Faith and live it out?  Do I regularly receive the Sacraments?
3. Do you struggle with certain sins or addictions?
4. Do you need to make more donations to Catholic organizations or pro-life charities?

This is the time of year to truly set Catholic Resolutions which will have eternal repercussions.

Some General Suggestions of Catholic Resolutions for 2019:

1. Pray the Rosary everyday if you are out of the habit 
2. Pray Lauds (morning prayer) and Vespers (evening prayer).
3. Say a prayer for the Poor Souls in Purgatory everyday, such as the St Gertrude Prayer
4. Attend Mass one day extra a week in ADDITION to Sunday. And if you have fallen away from Mass, start going weekly again 
5. Make it a habit to go to Confession at least every 2 weeks 
6. Fulfill the First Friday Devotion as well as the First Saturday Devotion
7. If you don't, start wearing the Brown Scapular

I will begin with reviewing my 2018 Resolutions:

2018 Catholic Resolutions

1.   Focus on Morning Prayers Each Day (3 Dominican Prayers, Daily Lauds, the 3 Hail Mary Devotion each morning)
2.   Attend Daily Mass 3X a week
3.   Make time for 15 minutes of spiritual reading/meditation each day preferably in the morning
4.   End the work day with Evening Prayers (e.g. Vespers)
5.   Focus on conquering old habits and practicing a detachment to material things.

2018 Catholic Resolution Results

1. I've made great progress on starting each day off with prayer, especially since I have recently purchased a Baronius Press Divine Office in Latin and English.  I've been incorporating the Dominican Prayers, Daily Lauds/Prime, the 3 Hail Mary Devotion, and others. I don't necessarily say all of them each day but a day rarely passes when I don't start it off with some prayers
2. Up until a job change that I had in the year, I was going to Mass nearly every day.  Alas, I'm not able to do that now but I was able to go usually 2X a week after the job change but it is more difficult now due to the traveling distance. But Mass attendance is one of the activities I enjoy the most in life.  Even on vacation, I will use those days to attend the Traditional Mass at many new places. I try to share those photos often on my Instagram.
3. This goal I've had the most difficult time with.  I have read some good books this year like the biography of Garcia Moreno and I'm still reading others, but it is slow.  I am thankfully usually listening to a traditional sermon on Youtube almost every day.
4. I've thankfully habitualized myself where if I don't pray Vespers things just "don't feel right."  I rarely pray Compline but Vespers is an integral part of my life now and I've become accustomed to saying it after a day of work.
5. Alas, old habits are hard to break. I continue to make progress and practice detachment and these sentiments, which are an integral part of the Ignatian retreat, is at the essence of developing a prayer life. I will continue to work on these.

So, now, here are my 2019 Catholic Resolutions

1. Make the Total Consecration to Mary
2. Complete the First Saturdays Devotion, which I've done previously but I wish to repeat since it is so important in our world today.
3. Conquer addictions and practice detachment to material things, as I mentioned in the previous year's resolutions
4. Maintain my Daily Divine Office routine

I encourage you to make Catholic Resolutions as well! What are yours? Share them below in the comments box.

Read more >>

Catholic Resolutions 2018

Each year I have made what I call "Catholic Resolutions."  These New Years Resolutions are not centered on losing weight, eating more healthy, or the like.  Rather, these resolutions each year are centered around my spiritual life.  I encourage all of you to make resolutions specifically geared on improving your own Faith life and your own knowledge of the Faith.  Ask yourself:

1. Do I know the Faith that I profess to believe in?  If not, how can I learn more?  For example, CatechismClass.com has an ideal Adult Course just for this purpose.
2. Am I truly living a Catholic life?  Am I learning more prayers?  Am I helping others to learn the Faith and live it out?  Do I regularly receive the Sacraments?
3. Do you struggle with certain sins or addictions?
4. Do you need to make more donations to Catholic organizations or pro-life charities?

This is the time of year to truly set Catholic Resolutions which will have eternal repercussions.

I will begin with reviewing my 2017 Resolutions:

2017 Catholic Resolutions

1.   Continue to pray the Rosary Daily
2.   Pray the Divine Office at least 1X Daily
3.   Attend Daily Mass
4.   Attend an Ignatian Silent Retreat
5.   Weekly Confession to help conquer old habits and grow in virtue

2017 Catholic Resolutions

1. Overall, I have always struggled to pray the Rosary all 7 days a week.  I did make better progress during Lent with Daily Rosary than the rest of the year, but I think I finish the year with averaging the Rosary on most days of the week.
2. I have been able to really make this a habit and I've seen good fruit from the Daily Divine Office in my life.
3. In the first half of the year, I was able to make it to Mass at least 5 or 6 days a week.  With the job situation change that occurred in July, that wasn't as easy.  So I'm going to adapt this goal so that Daily Mass can still be a part of the week.
4. I did attend the Ignatian Retreat in July 2017
5. Confession each week has been probably my best resolution as it has really helped me grow in virtue and root out several bad habits. 

So, now, here are my 2018 Catholic Resolutions

1.   Focus on Morning Prayers Each Day (3 Dominican Prayers, Daily Lauds, the 3 Hail Mary Devotion each morning)
2.   Attend Daily Mass 3X a week
3.   Make time for 15 minutes of spiritual reading / meditation each day preferably in the morning
4.   End the work day with Evening Prayers (e.g. Vespers)
5.   Focus on conquering old habits and practicing a detachment to material things.

I encourage you to make Catholic Resolutions as well!

Read more >>

Catholic Resolutions 2015

Each year I have made what I call "Catholic Resolutions."  These New Years Resolutions are not centered on losing weight, eating more healthy, or the like.  Rather, these resolutions each year are centered around my spiritual life.  I encourage all of you to make resolutions specifically geared on improving your own Faith life and your own knowledge of the Faith.  Ask yourself:

1. Do I know the Faith that I profess to believe in?  If not, how can I learn more?  For example, CatechismClass.com has an ideal Adult Course just for this purpose.
2. Am I truly living a Catholic life?  Am I learning more prayers?  Am I helping others to learn the Faith and live it out?  Do I regularly receive the Sacraments?
3. Do you struggle with certain sins or addictions?
4. Do you need to make more donations to Catholic organizations or pro-life charities?

This is the time of year to truly set Catholic Resolutions which will have eternal repercussions.

I will begin with reviewing my 2014 Resolutions:

2014 Catholic Resolutions

1.   Continue to pray the Rosary Daily
2.   Pray the Divine Office at least 1X Daily
3.   Network with 10 more Traditional Catholics
4.   Receive the rank of Squire in the Order of Knight of our Lady and make progress in my study towards the rank of Donate
5.   Bi-Weekly Confession to help conquer old habits

2014 Catholic Resolutions

1. Overall, I did well on the first goal.  I did not pray the Rosary daily but I did go through periods of time where I did and other weeks I managed to pray it 4-5 times.
2. I made strong progress in this from August to present.  (see point #4)
3. I made limited progress with this.  It is difficult to meet people in person due to timing and a host of other issues.  Last year when I was going to, I had situations where I got lost and another one where I got in an accident on the way.  But I did made at least electronic contact with more than 10 Traditional Catholics.
4. This goal was met in early August.
5. I did not always make bi-weekly Confession but I did not go more than one month without its reception.

So, now, here are my 2015 Catholic Resolutions

1.   Bi-Weekly Confession to help conquer old habits
2.   Progress in the the rank of Squire in the Order of Knight of our Lady and make progress in my study towards the rank of Donate.  This will include three parts:  a. Daily Divine Office recitation  b. Weekly Rosary for the order  c. Saturday Mass attendance
3.  Read 3 Books to help improve my own prayer life, with one of them being during Lent (as per the Rule of St. Benedict for his monks).

I encourage you to make Catholic Resolutions as well!

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Catholic Resolutions 2014

Each year I have made what I call "Catholic Resolutions."  These New Years Resolutions are not centered on losing weight, eating more healthy, or the like.  Rather, these resolutions each year are centered around my spiritual life.  I encourage all of you to make resolutions specifically geared on improving your own Faith life and your own knowledge of the Faith.  Ask yourself:

1. Do I know the Faith that I profess to believe in?  If not, how can I learn more?  For example, CatechismClass.com has an ideal Adult Course just for this purpose.
2. Am I truly living a Catholic life?  Am I learning more prayers?  Am I helping others to learn the Faith and live it out?  Do I regularly receive the Sacraments?
3. Do you struggle with certain sins or addictions?

This is the time of year to truly set Catholic Resolutions which will have eternal repercussions.

Thus, I would like to list my Catholic Resolutions for the upcoming year.

2014 Catholic Resolutions

1.   Continue to pray the Rosary Daily
2.   Pray the Divine Office at least 1X Daily
3.   Network with 10 more Traditional Catholics
4.   Receive the rank of Squire in the Order of Knight of our Lady and make progress in my study towards the rank of Donate
5.   Bi-Weekly Confession to help conquer old habits

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Catholic Resolutions 2012

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

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Catholic Resolutions 2008

As the year 2007 AD ends this evening, I would like to reflect on my 2007 Catholic Resolutions. The year 2007 was a year of both great joys and great sorrows including my graduation and a week-trip to St. Augustine, Florida along with events such as the death of my great-grandmother, Lucille. This year, 2007, was also the year that I was officially accepted as a seminarian and began to study at seminary. It was the year that I began to make daily Holy hours and I was able to attend Daily Mass. My prayer life has greatly improved - I pray certain prayers daily - prayers that I keep with me in prayer cards. In 2007 I also bought my first cassock and surplice. Yet, in 2007, many of my family members suffered through various illness, some had to spend time in the hospital. So, reflecting on this past year, it was a year of both great positives and great negatives. But, above all, we must be thankful for the gifts of this past year.

2007 Catholic Resolutions:

1) Finish my application process to enter a seminary, get accepted by my diocese, and start at a college seminary in the fall of 2007.
2) Pray the 15 Prayers of St. Bridget each day or as often as possible
3) Find and purchase a Traditional Catholic Prayer Book and a 1962 Roman Missal
4) Attend my first Tridentine Mass
5) Seek to grow spiritually and avoid all of the sins that I have committed often in the past
6) Read classic spirituality books including "Story of a Soul" by St. Therese of Lisieux
7) Read all of the New Testament

2007 Resolution Results:

1) I was accepted by my diocese and began college seminary in August 2007. Yet, I am still seriously discerning a vocation with a Traditional Order like the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. This 2007 Resolution was a complete success

2) Unfortunately, the Prayers of St. Bridget are very long and I did not succeed in praying the prayers daily. I will try again but I think that sometime in the future would be better than now.

3) I have greatly succeeded at this Resolution. I have three pre-Vatican II brevaries (two in English and one in Latin) as well as an Angelus Press Missal. I also now have a Douay Rheims Bible and the rubrics of the Tridentine Mass. These are just a few of the excellent books that I have found in 2007.

4) In September 2007 I attended my first Tridentine Mass on a Sunday and since then I believe that I have attended four other Tridentine Masses - one on the First Friday of December, one on the Immaculate Conception, and one on Lætare Sunday. I also attended one in November. This is all very exciting since I love the Tridentine Mass and would love, one day as a priest, to exclusively celebrate the Tridentine Mass. I hope to continue attending the Tridentine Mass as often as possible while I am at seminary. This resolution was a success.

5) A person can always work to grow more spiritually and reject more sins. I will keep working more on this resolution this year and continue my progress.

6) I have read a few books including St. Augustine's Confessions. But I did not have a chance to yet read The Story of a Soul.

7) I did not succeed in reading all of the New Testament - I was able to read the Gospels but not the Epistles of St. Paul.

2008 Catholic Resolutions:

1) Read the entire Bible in 1 year
2) Continue to pray the Rosary daily along with Lauds, Vespers, and Compline
3) Continue to frequently attend the Tridentine Mass
4) Purchase my first biretta
5) Purchase many different books and build up my Catholic library. I would specifically like to buy the Liber Usualis, the Liber Hymnarius, a Summa Theologica, the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Divine Intimacy by Fr. Gabriel, the Catechism of the Council of Trent, My Catholic Faith by Angelus Press, How Christ Said the First Mass by Meagher, The Holy Mass by Dom Prosper, Apologia Pro Marcel Lefebvre by Davies, and the Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco, all in Latin if possible
6) 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
7) Update "A Catholic Life", specifically include more prayers from the 1962 Missal on each saint's page.
8) Seek to grow spiritually and avoid all of the sins that I have committed often in the past

Read more >>

Catholic Resolutions 2007

With today being New Years Eve, it's time for me to reflect on my Catholic Resolutions for 2006 and make mine for 2007. As I posted about last year...

2006 Catholic Resolutions:
1) Pray the Morning prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours each weekday
2) Pray the Rosary at least once a week
3) Visit other Catholic churches around me and meet other priests and people
4) Read the entire Bible in 1 year
5) Read the readings for Mass each morning

2006 Resolution Results:

1) This is the one that I focused most on, and I've exceeded beyond my previous goal. This past June I purchased "Christian Prayer", which made praying the Liturgy of the Hours so easy. Now I do not just pray Morning Prayer but also Evening Prayer and sometimes Night Prayer. With my desire to become a priest, this was a great preparation, so I'm excited that I've exceeded on this goal. I've kept a calendar where I wrote each time I pray the Liturgy of the Hours. After I purchased "Chrisitian Prayer", one can see how much more I can pray the Liturgy of the Hours. Now I can leave the computer screen and pray outside, in the chapel, etc. I will certainly keep praying morning and evening prayer each day now.

2) I did fairly well with this. I didn't pray the Rosary very often during Autumn this year because of classes, but I prayed it last week. In the summer I prayed it each day especially when I started my 54-day Rosary this past year. It was a great success! Overall, I would say that I succeeded in this Resolution

3) I did an excellent job with this. On the Feastday of St. Blase I visited a beautiful church near me. This past June I was honored to spend time at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Missouri. In November I toured the Cathedral in St. Paul, Minnesota, which is the most beautiful church I've ever seen. Even this past Christmas, I assisted as an altar server at midnight Mass. I definitely succeeded in this Resolution

4) I was able to read all of the First five books of the Old Testament (The Pentateuch), but I didn't get any further than that. Perhaps I should try this again in 2007.

5) I did a decent job at this Resolution especially over the summer. With classes that began in September, I was unable to keep doing this. But, thankfully the daily Mass readings are now on podcasts. I downloaded it to I-Tunes a few weeks ago and listened to them everyday that I didn't get a chance to go to Mass. I've did a good job with this Resolution.

2007 Catholic Resolutions:

1) Finish my application process to enter a seminary, get accepted by my diocese, and start at a college seminary in the fall of 2007.
2) Pray the 15 Prayers of St. Bridget each day or as often as possible
3) Find and purchase a Traditional Catholic Prayer Book and a 1962 Roman Missal
4) Attend my first Tridentine Mass
5) Seek to grow spiritually and avoid all of the sins that I have committed often in the past
6) Read classic spirituality books including "Story of a Soul" by St. Therese of Lisieux
7) Read all of the New Testament

I hope my readers will also create Catholic Resolutions, not just New Years Resolutions.

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Read the Bible in One Year!

Catholic Doors Ministry has a schedule up for reading the entire Bible in one year. What a great resolution this year - to read God's Holy Word from start to finish.

*Note: I do not endorse any other pages on the website of Catholic Doors Ministry aside from their list for reading the Bible in one year.

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain, Title Unknown

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Catholic Resolutions 2006

Everyone always makes New Years Resolutions, but how about we make some Catholic Resolutions too. How can we improve our relationship with Christ this Year? List the Top 3 things that you'd like to do.

2006 Catholic Resolutions:

1. Pray the Morning prayer of the Breviary each weekday
2. Pray the Rosary at least once a week
3. Visit other Catholic churches around me and meet other priests and people
4. Read the entire Bible in 1 year
5. Read the readings for Mass each morning

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