A couple of years ago, a friend told me that she and her partner were hosting a Liturgical New Year’s party on the Saturday night leading into the first Sunday of Advent. Fan of New Year’s energy and keeper of the liturgical year that I am, hearing about this party delighted me to no end.
What a fun way to celebrate an important communal transition from one liturgical year to the next, which happens with the commencement of Advent, the season representing the time in history before Christ was known to humans. During Advent, we anticipate and prepare for God entering this world through the person of Jesus, whose life we then follow throughout the rest of the liturgical year.
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I didn’t go to the party (heck, I wasn’t even invited, given that we live on opposite sides of the country!), but imagining my friends’ festive gathering planted the seed in me to mark the onset of a new liturgical year more intentionally.
Cue: liturgical New Year’s resolutions.
Now, it doesn’t take ordination to know that the self-improvement-new-year-new-me energy of January 1 isn’t a part of the liturgical new year vibe, which has much more to do with organizing the Scriptural readings, feast days, and seasons of the Church than it does with any individual’s agenda or goals.
That said, as the liturgical year walks us through the mystery of Christ, it also, according to the USCCB, “calls us to live his mystery in our own lives.” It makes sense to me, then, to make the liturgical year personal as well as communal, and to use this special time as an opportunity to think about the ways that I might strengthen, grow, and deepen my faith in the year ahead.
If this thought resonates with you, here are some ideas for liturgical New Year’s resolutions:
Read a spiritual classic
We have so much to gain from the saints who have gone before us, and one way to take in their wisdom is by reading their works. However, because books like “Dark Night of The Soul” and “The Confessions” are a heavier mental lift than your average beach read, it might take a resolution to make reading them actually happen. For instance, I had to psych myself up to read St. Teresa of Avila’s “Interior Castle” a couple of years ago, but I’m so glad that I did, as the book played (and continues to play) an influential role in my spiritual development.
Commit to going on a retreat or pilgrimage
If going on a retreat or pilgrimage is something that you’ve long considered doing, make this year the year! 2025 is a Catholic jubilee year with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope;” if you have the time and the means, you might consider joining Catholics from all over the world as they make pilgrimages to Rome and other holy sites of significance. Check in with your local diocese to see if they have jubilee celebrations planned, or go your own way by planning to spend a day in prayer and rest at a place that nourishes your soul, like a state park or cathedral in your city.
Focus on a particular commandment
Maybe you’ve noticed an area of thinking or behavior that has been a struggle for you lately – a tendency to tell white lies, or a pattern of using Sundays to catch up on your work email, for instance. Consider the commandment with which your habits most clash, and decide to go all-in on that commandment this year. Read about it, pray about it, talk to a spiritual director or trusted friend about it, and reflect on how you can better live out the commandment in your life.
Pick a patron saint for the year
If you are looking for more of a vibe than a specific goal or two, choosing a patron saint for the year can help you get there. For instance, St. Monica is the patron saint of mothers, so if you are interested in deepening your role as a parent, son, or daughter, she might be a good choice. As part of this resolution, you can learn about your saint, pray to them for intercession, and consider practical ways that you can integrate their example into your life. Check out this extensive patron saint list to get started.
I’m thinking of choosing St. Dymphna, the patron saint of therapists, as my saint for the year, as I’m not only hoping to grow in my knowledge and skill as a psychotherapist this year, but am also planning to take my clinical licensure exam and will take all the help I can get in the process!
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Perform the Corporal Works of Mercy
You can’t go wrong with a resolution that positions you to imitate the ways of Jesus. Choose one or more of the Corporal Works of Mercy – feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the prisoners, bury the dead, give alms to the poor – to devote some of your time to in the year ahead.
Lean into Advent
There’s a trope that most New Year’s resolutions are abandoned by February 1, and if you get the sense that this might be the case for you, it’s fine to let go of making a resolution for the whole liturgical year and instead focus on the season ahead. Consider how you can fill the four weeks of Advent with expectant waiting, hopeful anticipation, and joyful preparation – perhaps by attending Advent vespers at your parish, reading an Advent devotional daily, or volunteering at a local soup kitchen.
There’s a saying that fruit grows where you plant and water seeds. As we transition from one liturgical year to the next, take time to nourish the seeds of your spiritual life. Intentionality about setting goals is a good place to start.
