1/6/23 - Friday Forget-Me-Nots by Jim Silcott

Photo Caption: Kindergarten back at work in 2023!

Dear Our Lady of Peace Family,

The new year brings with it the commercial manipulation of people’s desire to make resolutions for the next 365 days.

We are bombarded by ads for weight loss, gym memberships and exercise equipment. “We can help to make you a

better person in 2023.”

It is in our nature to seek out occasions to reflect upon our lives and attempt to improve. January 1 is just such a time.

New Year Resolutions we call them. Some make actual lists and share them with their friends or on Facebook. Others

keep them hidden in their heads, embarrassed at what they did not accomplish the year before. Of course, if you don’t

tell anyone, when your resolution melts away like the snow, no one is the wiser.

There is nothing wrong with our continued effort to improve. Some people get out of bed each morning determined to

make the new day a better one. So why do so many people end up abandoning their list? According to surveys, 25% are

forgotten after a week, 80% by February. To me, the issue is with the connotation of the word “resolution.” We decide

to do something. We either do it or we don’t, depending upon how we feel. Our middle school students may make a

resolution to do their homework more faithfully. The first time that something more desirable comes their way, the

resolution takes a back seat. How much homework will get done on the evening of January 9 when TCU plays Georgia

for the national championship (Even less homework had Ohio State made that last second field goal)?

Rather than make resolutions this year I hope to become RESOLUTE in my daily life. Although the difference may seem

subtle, the word “resolute” is an adjective. Making resolutions is a list. Being resolute, hopefully, will be a word that

describes me. It will be part of who I am, rather than a goal I may or may not keep. To be resolute is to have a line which

I will not cross no matter what the circumstances or how tired or busy I become. When I try to think of an image of a

resolute person, I see someone of strength and courage. That is who I aspire to be.

How do I become a resolute person? Deacon Jeffrey gave a few suggestions in his homily last weekend. Each Thursday,

Our Lady of Peace has the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in our church. He recommends spending some time,

even 15 minutes, in prayer each week in the real presence of Christ. He also urges us to take advantage of the sacrament

of reconciliation more often, maybe even once a month, as an opportunity to reflect, to confess and to be forgiven.

As a Christian, there are so many opportunities to help us evolve from the goal of making resolutions to becoming a

resolute person. Daily prayer, reading scripture, attending church on a regular basis, seeing the face of Jesus in one

another, will all go a long way in our transformation.

One of the pleasures of working at Our Lady of Peace is being able to witness people in our parish who live their lives as

resolute children of God. I admire them and I strive to be like them as they strive to be resolute in their faith.

It seems to me that everything else flows naturally from being a resolute Christian. If I am resolute in my faith, if I truly

understand and appreciate the person God wants me to be, then I won’t need to make New Year’s Resolutions. I will be

guided by God as to what is right for myself and others and I won’t be facing December 31, 2023, looking anxiously at

commercials that promise to transform my life. My life will be already transformed.

Jim Silcott