8 New Year’s Resolutions For Your Soul

What better time to set a new goal or to form a new habit than the New Year? As Catholics, we may already be making our personal resolutions daily. We ask forgiveness for our sins, and we resolve to do better next time. We also pray that God may continue to help us grow spiritually.

But there’s nothing wrong with making these resolutions just in time for the New Year. It would be great if we could finally turn our good intentions into definite courses of action for the year.

It may not be something big, but the small steps we take each day can one day create a great impact on our spiritual lives.

Here are 8 resolutions you can make for your soul this year:

1. Give more to those in need

Mother Teresa once mentioned that we should give until it hurts. While this can be applied differently to people, we can use it as a starting standard of our generosity.

How do we know when it already hurts? I think we can all have an idea personally. It’s when you don’t simply give a surplus of what you have. It’s when you need to sacrifice a meal so you can buy food for someone in need. It’s when you need to sell your extra clothes so you can donate to victims of various calamities.

2. Pray the rosary daily

This one may not be easy for some. But I tell you that it would be worth the effort in the end.

If you can’t pray the rosary daily, try to pray it weekly. The point is that you should try to make praying a habit so that it will gradually become a way of life.

3. Read a book about the life of a saint

Some of us may have put saints upon a pedestal where they have become untouchable human beings. The truth is that they also had struggles and weaknesses. Some like St. Augustine even revealed their sinful lives before their conversion.

Reading a book about the life of a saint can make our goal of holiness more realistic and personal.

4. Spend 15 minutes in morning prayer

In our busy lives, we may feel that we hardly have the time to do all our chores early in the day.

But putting prayer first often helps us gain the right perspective. It helps us to prioritize the important things in life such as our commitment to God. It also keeps us in touch with Him who should be the Source of our faith, hope and love. Prayer helps us remember that we are not alone whatever it may be we’re going through.

5. Read the Bible daily

Reading the Bible gives us the wisdom we need to continue growing in our spiritual life.

Through reading its pages, we find God at work, helping people, saving them and bringing them back to Himself.

The Gospels are especially helpful in bringing us back to the life of Jesus Christ. In Him, we see God’s goodness, beauty and truth. We see ourselves among the many He has healed, called and forgiven.

6. Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Learn more about your faith by reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You will appreciate the countless gifts God has given you. You will also be more equipped to defend your faith.

7. Listen to a Catholic podcast

I have learned so much by listening to podcasts like “The Bible in a Year” with Fr. Mike Schmitz. Just by allotting from 15 to 30 minutes a day listening to this podcast, I was able to go through the entire Bible in one year! I was also able to go deeper by listening to Fr. Mike’s reflections.

8. Consecrate your life to Mary

Is this the year you are being called to consecrate your life to our Blessed Mother?

For this devotion, you may want to follow the program called “Total Consecration to Jesus to Mary”. It follows the recommendations of St. Louis de Montfort in preparing oneself for 33 days for totally offering oneself to Jesus and Mary.

There are apps as well as online resources that can help you find the readings and prayers you need for each day for your preparation. You can also find it in St. Louis de Montfort’s book “True Devotion to Mary”.

Final Thoughts

Growing spiritually starts with forming good habits. Through these good habits, we intentionally strive to develop virtues and offer our lives to God.

It may seem daunting to desire to be a saint. But saints all started by offering themselves daily to God, and we can all do the same.

Let your resolutions for this new year help you draw nearer to God as you grow in holiness and love.

“…put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.” – Ephesians 4:22-24 (NABRE)

Jocelyn Soriano is the author of 366 Days of Compassion. You may want to start the year by reading this devotional book each day to inspire you and lead you to prayer.

Where is God? God is with us, but we often do not know where to look and so we do not see. God is there, pursuing us, waiting for us to take the time to call on Him in our helplessness, in the routine of our daily lives. He is the one who will fill our lives with meaning and our hearts with hope and love.