When we think about a new year, we often think about resolutions to better ourselves or new goals to aspire to. Maybe we look back and evaluate the past year, vowing not to repeat the mistakes we made and instead strive to do better and be better. In a way, a new year is like receiving God’s mercy after Penance. It gives us a fresh start.
With this in mind, we should really look at every new year with a clean slate, getting rid of the previous year’s baggage that only drags us down. We must resolve, through our resolutions, to refocus on our life’s goals and determine how to achieve them. As Catholics, our life should be focused on knowing, loving, and serving God. In evaluating our coming year, we must set goals to achieve that in all the things that we do, think, and say. So, if we have treated people badly, been dishonest, turned away from God, been lazy and so on, we must relook at all those things and set goals to do better. And do everything for His glory.
God’s mercy is a gift from a forgiving God. And every new year is an example of that gift. In fact, every day is. We can easily wake up each morning and ask ourselves how we can do and be better this day. How can we succeed for God where we failed Him the day before?
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23, NRSVCE)
God’s mercy is available to us in so many ways, and it’s a gift we should not ignore or take for granted. All we have to do in return is repent of our past transgressions, through penance and prayer, and vow not to repeat the sins of our past. God is so good to us. He is so loving and forgiving. He wants to give us another chance because He wants us to join Him in Heaven. So, let’s not ignore these opportunities or squander them to worldly successes. Let’s look at each new year, each new day, as God’s mercy, and His gift of a chance to try again.
May God bless you,
T. M. Gaouette