Hey there,
Merry Christmas! I pray you’re experiencing the true joy of the birth of our Lord.
This time next week, we’ll have turned the calendar to 2019. And enthusiastically started on our new year’s resolutions.
Save money … lose weight … exercise more … quit smoking. These are the most popular resolutions.
According to U.S. News, 80% of new year’s resolutions fail by the second week of February. But this year will be different!
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
Maybe this year we should take a different approach.
This week’s Genuflect will help you get ready for a great 2019. We look at the history of new year’s, why resolutions fail, how to take a Catholic approach, how to keep your resolutions, and we look at the Solemnity of Mary Holy Day of Obligation on January 1.
This is the last Genuflect of 2018 and I’m taking a break next week to enjoy some extra family time. So look for the next issue of Genuflect on Wednesday, January 9.
Blessings to you all. See you next year!
Keep Believing-
Katy Barrilleaux
Editor, Genuflect
Resources
6 Little-Known Facts About the History of New Year’s
Most people know the stories behind Christmas and Hanukkah, but have you ever wondered how New Year’s celebrations began? Who decided the year begins in January? To satisfy your curiosity, here’s a little history of New Year’s in 6 quick facts!
Why Resolutions Fail
New Year’s resolutions are much maligned nowadays. Some people feel that they’re a waste of time. I think it’s admirable that people want to accomplish something positive, turn over a new leaf, and become a better version of themselves. So why do so many New Year’s resolutions fail? Here are two reasons.
Let Catholic Social Teaching Shape Your New Year
U.S. News reports 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail by February. Why are these commitments so hard to keep? One reason is New Year’s resolutions tend to have an individual focus. What if resolutions were about serving others and allowing ourselves to be transformed along the way? The seven principles of Catholic social teaching offer a rich place to start brainstorming some selfless resolutions. Here are some ideas.
Greeting the New Year the Catholic Way
No fear, no matter what comes. Bring it, 2018 — originally published a year ago, it’s still relevant for 2019.. Here are some points to consider if we focus, before all else, on pleasing God in the New Year, the Catholic way.
20 New Year’s Resolutions… That Aren’t Losing Weight
Before setting your resolution for the year, examine your heart. Are you trying to fix something because you dislike yourself, or are you trying to improve because you love yourself and want to glorify God in all that you do? Invite the Lord into your intentions! Here’s a list of resolutions that can help you love the person God created you to be.
New Year’s Resolutions For The Catholic Family
January is an opportunity to improve not just your health or your spending habits, but your spiritual life as well. Just remember to keep it simple at first, and as your resolutions turn into habits, you can add more. Here are 7 resolutions to inspire the whole family.
How to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions This Year
Get inspired by some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions from around the country. Then learn how you can best stick to your plans for the upcoming year. Whether you want to eat healthier or quit smoking, it’s important to make SMART goals. These tips will help you stick to your resolutions long after you make them.
A New Way of Looking at New Year’s Resolutions
We live in a world bound by time. Many people — from our favorite priests to self-help gurus, to journalists, to Oprah — tell us that in order to be successful in our day-to-day lives, we must live in the “now.” But have you ever tried to live in the now? It’s really hard. But as daunting as it is for most of us to fully live in the now, I do think that we can edge a little closer to the now, which is to say a little closer to God, and by doing so we can. How can we do this? Through something I like to call a “microshift.”
Spiritual Director Offers Best New Year’s Resolution Ever
In the times in which we live there is negativity and challenging events; maybe it’s always been so. Add to this our “hardwiring” to noticing the negative. Perhaps the best of all New Year’s resolutions for 2019 would be to try to become the grateful people God invites us to be.
Five Things You Should Know about New Year’s Day and Mary, Mother of God
Everyone knows what January 1 is, right? It’s New Year’s Day, of course – the day the new year begins, the day after the parties, dancing, drinking, and revelry took place signaling that new year. It’s the day to start our resolutions and ponder our dreams. But, it’s also the Solemnity of Mary. This important Holy Day of Obligation in the Catholic Church can easily slip past us among the New Year festivities and their aftermath. Here are five things you should know – and reflect on – about January 1.
Evangelize
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Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash