Maybe the best New Year’s resolution you can make is resolving to grow your faith next year.
Through God’s grace we can build our faith and grow closer to Christ, but we need to cooperate in God’s plan too. Like the more common New Year’s resolutions to exercise or diet, it takes effort on our part to reap these rewards. Here are 5 easy actions you can take to grow your faith next year.
Read the Bible More
As Catholics we hear scripture read at Mass during the Liturgy of the Word. But choosing to read the Bible on our own helps us build our relationship with God. The Holy Scriptures are alive! When we read the Bible we are allowing God to speak to us directly, allowing His Word to guide us in our personal lives. As the Bible itself says:
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12)
If you’ve never read the Bible before, consider starting with the Gospel of Matthew and then continuing through the Holy Gospels of Mark, Luke and John. This will help you know Christ better and will encourage you to keep reading through the New Testament. Then you’ll be prepared to go deeper into the Old Testament as well. Need a Catholic Bible? Click here for some options.
Strengthen Your Prayer Life
We tend to make prayer a bit of a routine – prayers at bedtime, saying grace before meals, maybe praying the Rosary on occasion. But prayer should be so much more than just routine!
Prayer helps us build our relationship with God. It allows us to focus our lives around Him, and open ourselves up to His love and peace. Through prayer, we can allow God to center us and guide us. As St. Teresa of Ávila said, “Prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.“
At a time when many people suffer from anxiety and depression, prayer opens ourselves up more to God’s healing grace. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
There are many Catholic prayers that can be explored to deepen your prayer life. These include the Rosary, the Angelus, the Act of Contrition, the Prayer to St. Michael, and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
Spend Time Alone in Adoration
Eucharistic Adoration is the Catholic practice of spending time in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. As Catholics we believe the Eucharist is the Real Presence of Christ. Catholics find Adoration very peaceful, and a great way to deal with anxiety or stress. While in Adoration, you can spend time in prayer or choose to read scripture quietly. Some people enjoy journaling during Adoration because they feel so peaceful and centered while in Christ’s Real Presence.
Many parishes offer Adoration regularly. Some only offer it on First Fridays. The practice becomes more popular during Lent and is frequently offered on Holy Thursday before Easter. Churches often combine Adoration with the Sacrament of Reconciliation, so it’s a great time to go to Confession if it’s been a while. Participating in the Sacraments is perhaps the greatest way to grow your faith – go to Mass every Sunday (and maybe more frequently – daily Mass is a great way to start your day!), and go to Confession regularly.
Join a Small Group
For many, joining a small faith group can be life-changing. This group gives you a chance to discuss your faith and learn from the witness and wisdom of others. A good small faith group will encourage you in your faith and maybe challenge you to break out of your routine and go deeper. Small faith groups are often centered around scripture and prayer, so simply joining a group can help you check off two of the items already on this list. The greatest challenge of a small faith group is finding one. Many parishes have embraced these groups and can help you find a group that is a good fit for you.
Perform Acts of Service
Perhaps nothing can help open you up to God’s love like performing acts of service. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta (perhaps the greatest saint of modern times) said “Faith in action is love—and love in action is service.”
The Bible encourages us to serve others over and over again. Just one example:
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10)
Service doesn’t have to be a big action or a huge commitment. Start small. Check on an elderly neighbor and offer to run to the store for her. Ask a local nursing home if you can write a letter to a resident. Many residents are lonely and would love your letters. You can participate in service programs with your parish (many hands make for light work), or check with your diocese’ Catholic charities. Many dioceses run food banks that can always use volunteers to sort donations and stock shelves. With a few hours of light work, you can make a real difference in the life of a hungry family.
No matter how strong your faith, it should never be “good enough”. We should always look to know the scriptures better, strengthen our relationship with God, and grow even stronger in our faith.
Happy New Year!
