God's Mercies are New Every Morning, Not Just Every New Year

Ringing in the New Year often causes people to pause, review their life, and make resolutions for how to better themselves in the coming year.

As a result, the gyms are usually full in January, and more vegetables have disappeared from the grocery store shelves. And for us Catholics, daily Masses are better attended, and the confession lines are a little longer.

We are determined to fully commit to our New Year's resolutions . . . for the first couple of months, that is.

Did I just say that? Oops.

We all know it's true, though. It's part of being human. We set noble goals for ourselves, and then somewhere down the road life happens and we get knocked off the New Year's resolution "wagon."

Once off the wagon, though, it's very easy to become discouraged and feel like there's no way to get back on. At that point most of us, myself included, wait until the clock strikes midnight on December 31st to start over again.

Don't become discouraged, though! The truth is that every day is an opportunity for a fresh new start. Praise God! One of my favorite scripture verses is from Lamentations 3:22-23:

"His mercies are new every morning."

So, that means every time our feet hit the floor in the morning, the Lord gives us the chance to start over. Starting over doesn't require a ball to drop in New York City! Isn't that amazing? God's limitless mercies are new every single day. It's something that's easily forgotten, but an absolutely incredible gift.

So if you fail, I encourage you to get back on your New Year's resolution wagon. Cling to Jesus Christ and ask for the grace to persevere.

And remember, you don't have to be perfect at maintaining your New Year's resolutions, by any means. The important thing is that you keep moving towards your goal, no matter how many times you may need to start over.