Happy Spiritual New Year

Amanda Lawrence shares three ways to nurture your spirituality this New Year and get in shape for the upcoming season of Lent.

The Advent season, which began November 27, 2022, marked the beginning of a brand-new liturgical calendar year. Advent encourages us to participate in penitential practices: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, similar to Lent.

Now that it’s over and Christmas has concluded, the secular world floods us with ideas for resolutions and fresh starts. Rather than pursuing a new exercise routine or diet, I encourage you to keep the momentum of Advent by resolving to grow closer to God this New Year.

In a world that celebrates Halloween in September and Christmas in November, why not start thinking about Jesus’ Resurrection in January? I’m challenging you to do just that this liturgical new year (which we’ve already observed for nearly two months)!

Think of it as staying in shape for Lent!

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Spend these next few weeks in Ordinary Time preparing for Ash Wednesday and the Easter season by focusing on one spiritual element every two weeks. Please don’t let these suggestions become another to-do list. Instead, view them as a guide intended to clarify and deepen your awareness of the coming of Christ. When resolutions begin and end in response to God’s love, they never become burdensome.

First two weeks: Pray!

Refresh and revitalize your prayer life by adding one new devotional or element to your practice, something that will help you move beyond your routine. Here are a few suggestions:

Reflect in a prayer journal for a few minutes each day.
Begin a 9-day Rosary novena.
Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
Subscribe to Ascension’s new podcast, Catechism In a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz.
Commit to reading a few chapters of the Bible (during Year A, we primarily read from the Gospel of Matthew), then pray, reflect, and allow the Word of God to speak.
Visit an Adoration chapel for a Eucharistic holy hour and bask in Jesus’ loving gaze.
If you haven’t been to Confession lately, consider going.

Following two weeks: Fast!

Sacrifice something you love.

Denying ourselves allows us to concentrate our mind, body, and soul on the coming of Christ. Maybe that looks like limiting screen time, online shopping, or snacking between meals. Perhaps it’s eliminating television or music to spend more time in prayerful silence. Choose something that will curb worldly distractions and help you focus. Your small sacrifice permits God space to speak to your heart and fill the emptiness with something better.

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Final two weeks: Donate!

Offer up your time, talent, or treasure. It doesn’t have to be every day, so long as it’s intentional. Some ways to contribute:

Prune your wardrobe and select five or ten items to give away. Repeat this process with your children and take a family trip to drop everything off at a donation center.
Provide an additional monetary gift to your church or a Catholic organization that nurtures your spirituality.
Buy your priest dinner.
Donate your time to a food pantry, soup kitchen, or other charity in need of assistance. Volunteers tend to drop off after the holiday season, but help is still needed.

Click to tweet:
Shine through the darkness and drudgery of January by toning up your prayer routine and revitalizing your spirituality. #catholicmom

Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are essential to any healthy spiritual life. Strengthening these practices throughout the year allows us to focus on our missions and humble ourselves to prepare for receiving Christ. It also helps us draw nearer to God while practicing for the Lenten season.

As winter looms, I invite you to leave behind the challenges of the past and gaze upon the joys and hopes ahead. Shine through the darkness and drudgery of January by toning up your prayer routine and revitalizing your spirituality.

We achieve the joy and peace we long for by growing closer to God.

Remember, the goal isn’t perfection or dramatic change: it’s finding new ways to make space in our hearts for the hope and wonder of Christ. His love is so divine that it deserves our thankful hearts and humble responses of faith.

Know that I’m praying for your success.

Have a blessed year!

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