New Year’s resolutions for the New Evangelization

Some great ideas from the blogging bishop, Christopher Coyne:

As the new year begins, we often make resolutions and so, I offer the following possible new year’s resolutions to consider if one is going to be serious about being an evangelizer. I offer them for myself as well as for those readers who chose to follow my advice. Many of these resolutions are already part of my life: confession, pray, etc.. My hope is that anyone of us who is serious about following Christ as a Catholic Christian and an evangelizer will be able to see oneself in some of these propositions.

And so,

As a Catholic Christian committed to the Church and the work of the new evangelization, I resolve with the love of Christ in my heart and the guidance of the Holy Spirit:

– to strive to grow in my love for the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church everyday.

– to be someone who seeks opportunities to invite others to faith in Jesus Christ and then seizes those opportunities when they come.

– to try and talk about Jesus Christ and my faith to someone at least once a day.

– to strive to live as someone who seeks to love God with all my heart, with all my mind, and with all my soul and to love my neighbor as I would seek to be loved.

– everyday to wake up in the morning, put my feet on the floor, and before I stand up, bow my head in praise to God for all that he has done for me.

– everyday as I prepare for bed, to sit or kneel at my bedside and thank God for the blessings of the day and seek His forgiveness for any of my human transgressions.

– to attend Sunday Mass every week, arriving at least 15 minutes before Mass starts so I can properly prepare myself to listen to the Word of God and celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

– every time I eat, regardless of where I am, to give thanks to God for the food I am about to receive.

– to celebrate the Sacrament of Confession and Reconciliation at least once a month or more as needed.

– to meditate on the daily Mass readings. 

– to pray the Rosary once a day.

– to be someone who seeks to judge less and understand more.

– to remember that,”It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into the doing that matters.” (Blessed Mother Teresa)

– to balance the way I talk about the Church. If I have to complain about something I do not agree with or like about the Church, I will remember to say something about what I love about the Church, especially around others who may not believe as I do.

Those are for starters.  Check out the rest.  Cut, paste, save, and mail it to those you love.  They’ll thank you later.