Prayerful Resolutions

The beginning of a new year feels like a fresh start to life, in a way, and we often respond with resolutions to overcome bad habits or do good deeds. The Rule of St. Benedict has some advice for us in this regard: “First of all, every time you begin a good work, you must pray to Christ most earnestly to bring it to perfection” (Prologue, verse 4).

I confess that I don’t generally approach my new year’s resolutions from the stance of prayer. However, it would be helpful to do so, for as Michael Casey notes, “…every good inspiration has its origins in the actions of God deep within us.” When I understand that my impulses to reform an aspect of my life or do a good work come from the action of God within me, I’m more likely to take my resolutions seriously, because following through makes me a partner with God, in a sense.

Casey goes on to say, “We are being called to share in God’s work by our simple acts of kindness, by our fidelity, by our generosity with our gifts and our time…. To be tireless in doing good takes much courage, and this virtue comes only through sustained contact with Christ in prayer.”

When I read stories about the lives of saints, I’m often in awe at the multiplicity of the projects they took on—founding new communities, schools, orphanages, and hospitals, offering hospitality and guidance to pilgrims, and preaching and writing extensively, for example. You'd think they would need ten lifetimes to accomplish all their good works! The only way they could be so tireless was through sustained contact with Christ in prayer, because contact with Christ is a conduit to the energy of God the Creator and Spirit as well. That energy is inexhaustible and is available to us as well to fuel our own efforts to grow in love and sustain the Body of Christ.

Here is a simple prayer, modified from Prayers for the Domestic Church by Fr. Edward Hays, to maintain sustained contact with Christ, our light and source of energy:

X Christ my light, help me to use the work of this day — to perform it with mindfulness and attention, with care and devotion — that it may be holy and healing for me and for all the earth. 

X May my heart be ever changing, ever growing, as I seek to respond to the action of our loving God deep within me.

X Journey with me this day and give me the energy to be faithful to acts of love and compassion that unite me with you, Creator, Redeemer, and Spirit of the Holy.

AMEN X