As the new year gains steam, it’s easy to get caught up in our resolve to make changes in our lives.

But we can’t forget to continue developing our relationship with Christ.

This period of new beginning at the start of the year gives us a chance to reflect on the last 12 months and consider the changes we hope to make for the year. We make resolutions or promises to ourselves and others in order to help keep us on the right track. For many of us, these resolutions can include doing better in our classes by studying harder, volunteering with a community group or shedding the few extra pounds we have gained over the past year.

Regardless of how many promises we make concerning our personal, academic or social lives, we need to make spiritual resolutions in order to help us on our journey with the Lord.

It seems that our faith is often strongest following the Christmas season because we are encouraged by the celebrations of Christ’s birth. This period of renewal is the time to reflect on our spiritual lives during that last year and discover which areas of our faith require some attention. 

Perhaps we have fallen out of attending Mass each week or no longer volunteer during weekly services.

We may believe that our busy schedules warrant less time spent praying or in conversation about our faith. Our relationship with God may become one-sided, because we mistakenly have become preoccupied with things we deem are more important, or the guilt of having neglected our faith may lead us to believe we have let Him down. We all fall short at times, but the most important thing to remember is not to give up on the Lord.

We often view resolutions as one-time promises that, once broken, cannot be attempted again. Not true. I will make the effort each Sunday to attend rehearsal on time. I acknowledge that I may fail in the future, but knowing this does not keep me from wanting to try to do my best.

We all have areas on which we can improve. The most important thing to remember about our faith resolutions is that we cannot fail. We may trip and stumble along the way, but as long as we continue to seek the love of the Lord, our endeavours will be successful.

(Keating, 23, is an English literature and German culture student at Memorial University in St. John’s, Nfld. Read her Q&A at youthspeaknews.org)