Resolutions for a prosperous New Year

As we are poised to proceed into A.D. 2015, we usually wish each other a happy and prosperous New Year. Many of us set aside time to formulate resolutions for a fresh start and we mean it. Our plans and sentiments spring from the best of intentions and good will.

Humans have been making resolutions for the New Year for millennia, from Babylonians to Puritans to our modern times, from oaths of fealty to military commanders to sacrifices for the gods to finally getting a grip on particular vices to being nice to annoying coworkers.

Even our veritable Ben Franklin is quoted as saying, “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.”

Both the making of resolutions and the wishing for prosperity are indicators of humans’ desire for happiness and betterment.

Catholics resolve to live better every time we pray an act of contrition, whether during the sacrament of reconciliation or alone in an examination of conscience: “...I firmly resolve with the help of thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin...”

The key is “with the help of thy grace” as we war with our vices and make peace with our neighbors. Reconciliation is a sacrament of peace, peace restored with God by his forgiveness and peace restored with others, as amending our sin affects humanity for good.

“Resolving,” literally meaning, “to loosen,” requires heavenly aid to work out untying those knots of bad habits and sinful practices. To loosen is to open ourselves up to become more liberal with our love, the mark of a true follower of Jesus Christ, for “he who loves his brother abides in the light (I John 2:10).” Loving (actions of kindness, that is, not warm fuzzy feelings), especially those with whom we disagree, helps bring about peace on earth, one person at a time.

Jesus himself said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14:27).”

The desire to make resolutions for righteousness is a strong one and one that our Lord and his saints are more than pleased to aid us as we run the race.

Peace can be tricky, though. We don’t want to be peaceful toward people with whom we dislike or disagree. We think it makes us seem weak or wishy-washy in our convictions. In the Greek “eirene,” the word denotes “one, quietness, rest,” and in the Hebrew “shalom,” the word denotes “completeness, soundness, welfare.”

We love to sound off our beliefs. But our beliefs do not have to take a back seat to peace — to the quietness, rest, and welfare of others. Let not our hearts be troubled. We can still work for humanity’s peace while holding our convictions. Several months ago, I attended a local ladies’ prayer retreat led by Father Michael Shields, formerly pastor of Saint Michael Church in Palmer and for the past 16 years running a mission in Magadan, Russia.

The very next day I was sitting in church when a lady slid into the pew in front of me. A lady who publicly holds moral views at odds with clearly articulated Catholic Christian teachings. A lady whose hand I did not want to shake for the upcoming sign of peace. I contemplated a restroom run or feigning a coughing fit to avoid shaking her hand when the Holy Spirit reminded me of my prior day’s prayers and resolutions where I had already asked to be an instrument of God’s peace.

Oh sigh.

When the moment arrived, I realized (once again, thank you Holy Spirit) that I could indeed wish her the peace of Christ with all my heart. I knew that shaking her hand, smiling, and saying, “Peace be with you!” did not mean that I agreed with her views. It just meant that I saw her as a beloved child of God and spoke words of peace to her as I offered my hand as an instrument of love and therefore, peace; no frowning necessary. A small thing? Yes. But our Lord uses small things, our littlest gifts, for his work.

Prosperous, from the Latin “pro spere,” means “according to your wishes.” This is so much more than monetary wealth (in greed, I mean, not true necessity). When we call to each other greetings for a prosperous new year, we’re saying, “I hope for you a year wherein your wishes are realized.” For 2015, may our wishes be Christ’s wishes for peace and love and may we resolve to work on loosening the knots of our sin to let Him work through our hands of kindness.

Happy New Year 2015!

Allison Howell and her family are longtime residents of the Valley. They are Catholic converts and keep a hobby farm full of animals and children.

Opinions expressed on the Faith page are the author’s and are not necessarily those of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, its staff or its parent company, Wick Communications Co. To submit a column or other news for the Faith page, send email to news@frontiersman.com, or call 352-2250.