Making resolutions for the new year is a great tradition. We have done it for years and invariably about this time each year, the ads start that play on our emotions. "Have you already broken your new year's resolution," they ask. "You can't do it on your own," they nag. They are right about one thing. It is very tough to do things on our own. We need support and that is where our God comes in. He is always there waiting for us to ask for help and yet we seem to forget about Him until we are either trying to win the lottery or asking that our favorite sports team march to victory. I am pretty sure that God doesn't care about either of those things but He truly cares about us. In fact, God is always thinking about us. How comforting is that fact? So are you ready to be really bold in 2016? Take a chance and ask God to use you as his earthen vessel. See what He really wants you to do. As soon as you ask God to put you in the place where He most wants you to be, you will see a change in your life. You will be moved from focusing on yourself and placed in a position where you will be helping others. Now the great thing about that movement is it will also make your life better. Helping others is a great way to change your life. You begin to see the good in people. You begin to live out Jesus's command that we love others as we love ourselves. Being a good neighbor isn't easy but the rewards are so great. So back to our resolutions for 2016. Why not try something different and offer yourself to God fully?

You have hopefully seen the report that dozens of buses of March for Life participants were stranded on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, after a small accident caused a huge back up of traffic Friday evening. The massive dumping of snow then left many of the buses unable to carry on. LifeSite spoke with several of the groups that are stranded, and found that the marcher's spirits were high. One group of Catholic students from Omaha and Minneapolis- St. Paul suggested that all the pilgrims celebrate Mass. Without a proper altar available, they took things into their own hands and made an altar of snow. The Missionary Benedict Sisters from Norfolk, Nebraska posted that, "Word spread around, and on one bus, the priest had around 300 hosts, and offered to celebrate the mass. Well word traveled around fast and soon we had like 6 priests and 500 people there. God is good!!!" “We have now been stuck over 15 hours in the snow because of this so called #jonasblizzard but that isn't ruining our spirits!” said Iowans for LIFE Associate Director Mary Granzow in a Facebook post Saturday morning. “We are still on a pilgrimage for life including Mass outside in the snow, snowball fights, and making sure those driving by know that every life matters!” The Mass was said by Fr. Patrick Behm and a number of other priests.

"Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Christians are called to work together in order to be a visible sign that God's mercy excludes no one," said Pope Francis. The pope reflected on the theme of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which was taken from the first letter of St. Peter and was selected by an ecumenical group from Latvia. The Lutheran cathedral of Riga, Latvia, he noted, contains a 12th-century baptismal font that serves as a sign of the common baptism that unites Catholics, Protestant and Orthodox Christians. "St. Peter's first letter is addressed to the first generation of Christians to make them aware of the gift received through Baptism and the requirements it entails," the pope said. "We too, in this week of prayer, are invited to rediscover this and do this together, going beyond our divisions." The pope said that although divisions are often caused by selfishness, the common baptism shared by Christians is an experience of being "called from the merciless and alienating darkness" to an encounter with God who is "full of mercy." "To start once again from baptism means to rediscover the source of mercy, the source of hope for all, so that no one is excluded from God's mercy," he said. "No one is excluded from the mercy of God." The grace of God's mercy, he added, is stronger than what divides Christians and in the measure one receives that grace, one becomes "capable of preaching to all his merciful deeds," especially through a witness of Christian unity. "We Christians can announce to all the power of the Gospel by committing ourselves to share the corporal and spiritual works of mercy," he said. "This is a concrete witness of unity among us Christians: Protestants, Orthodox and Catholics." Pope Francis emphasized that the week of prayer serves as a reminder that Christians share a common mission in passing on to others the mercy they have received, especially with "the poor and the abandoned." "During this week of prayer, let us pray so that all of us, disciples of Christ, may find a way to work together to bring the mercy of the father to every part of the earth," the pope said.

Religious sisters should not be forced to choose between caring for the poor and obeying their conscience, the Little Sisters of the Poor told the Supreme Court in a recent legal brief, adding that this is what the government is demanding of them through the HHS mandate. “As Little Sisters of the Poor, we offer the neediest elderly of every race and religion a home where they are welcomed as Christ,” said Sister Loraine Marie Maguire, mother provincial of the Little Sisters of the Poor. “We perform this loving ministry because of our faith,” she continued, adding that the Little Sisters “cannot possibly choose between our care for the elderly poor and our faith, and we shouldn’t have to.” Sister Maguire’s comments came Jan. 4, as the Little Sisters filed their Supreme Court brief against the federal contraception mandate. The case will be heard this Supreme Court term as part of a bundle of cases against the administration’s contraceptive mandate. Representing the Little Sisters and several other plaintiffs in the case is the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which filed the brief before the court on Monday. At issue is a mandate from the Department of Health and Human Services requiring employers to offer health plans covering free contraception, sterilization and some drugs that can cause early abortions. The Obama administration established narrow religious exemptions for houses of worship and their affiliated groups, but many religiously-affiliated charities, non-profits, and businesses that morally objected to the mandate were required to abide by it. In response to widespread protest and lawsuits from hundreds of plaintiffs across the country, the administration later offered an “accommodation” to certain objecting religious non-profits, under which they could notify their insurer of their conscientious objection, and the insurer would then fund the coverage. Critics charged that the financial costs for the objectionable coverage would still be passed on to the employers, and the groups said they would still be forced to act against their religious beliefs by having to “facilitate access” to the services. Many religious non-profits – including charities, schools, and dioceses – took their cases against the mandate to court. The Little Sisters lost their case at the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in July 2015 after the court ruled that the “accommodation” offered to the sisters did not substantially burden their sincerely-held religious beliefs. The sisters applied for and received an injunction from the mandate in August, and in November the Supreme Court agreed to hear their case along with the other plaintiffs. Pope Francis offered a gesture of support for the sisters when he made an unscheduled stop Sept. 23 at their Jeanne Jugan Residence for the low-income elderly in Washington, D.C. during his U.S. visit. The visit was meant as a “sign of support” for the sisters as the Supreme Court was considering taking their case, director of the Holy See Press Office Fr. Federico Lombardi later confirmed to the media. Ultimately, the brief claims that the government is violating federal law by speaking for the sisters in saying that the accommodation is compatible with their religious beliefs. The federal law in question, the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act, provides that when a government action violates a person’s sincerely-held religious beliefs, the burden of proof is on the government to establish that the action furthers a compelling state interest and is the least-restrictive means of doing so. Furthermore, though the government may disagree with the person’s religious objections, it may not determine for that person that his conscientious objection is groundless, the brief says. The administration “wants petitioners to do precisely what their sincere religious beliefs forbid –and it is threatening them with draconian penalties unless they do so,” the document states. “The government’s refusal to acknowledge as much is nothing more than a forbidden attempt to secondguess petitioners’ sincere religious beliefs that the actions the government has demanded of them would constitute sin.” Additionally, the fact that the administration exempted some employers from the mandate for other reasons undermines their claim that contraception coverage is a compelling interest, since they are not requiring all employers to provide it, the brief claims.

The gift of mercy is a light that helps Christians reflect on the past year and radiates hope at the start of the new year, Pope Francis said. While retracing the events of 2015 may recall moments of both joy and sorrow, it also offers a moment to understand the presence of God who "renews and sustains with his help," Pope Francis said during an evening prayer service in St. Peter's Basilica on New Year's Eve. The prayer service included eucharistic adoration and Benediction, as well as the singing of the "Te Deum," a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God, for the closing year. The "Te Deum," he said, is the church's way of giving thanks and recognizing the loving presence of God throughout history. "With this hymn, we look back at the history of salvation where, through God's mysterious plan, the various events of our life in this past year find" their place and meaning, the pope said. Although the past year may bring both happy and painful memories, he said, it also challenges Christians to ponder on whether world events occurred according to God's will or through people's plans, which are "often loaded with private interests, an unquenchable thirst for power and gratuitous violence." The pope said Christians must interpret the signs given by God to truly see his merciful love. Even though the year was marred by violence and the suffering of people fleeing for better living conditions, there were also gestures of goodness, love and solidarity, even if they are not covered by the news. "Good things," he said, "never make the news." "These signs of love cannot and should not be obscured by the strength of evil," the pope said. "Good always triumphs, even if in some moments it may seem weaker and hidden." Addressing those present as the bishop of Rome, the pope called on Romans to move beyond the present difficulties. The city has faced challenging moments as public services such as transportation and maintenance have deteriorated. In October, Ignazio Marino resigned as mayor following accusations that personal expenses were covered through city funds. Pope Francis encouraged the people of Rome, saying that the commitment of recuperating the fundamental values of service, honesty and solidarity, can "overcome the serious uncertainties that have dominated this year ... symptoms of a poor sense of dedication to the common good."

Singing is good for one's soul and, as St. Augustine says, Christian life is not a sad path but a joyous one that is done "singing and walking," Pope Francis said. "Remember this: Sing and walk," the pope said Dec. 31 to 6,000 young choristers, their families, friends and choirmasters from 18 countries. "And in this way, your soul will enjoy more the joy of the gospel." The young choir members took part in the Dec. 28-Jan. 1 International Congress of Pueri Cantores in Rome. They held concerts at several churches in Rome and were scheduled to sing in St. Peter's Basilica on New Year's Day. The pope took questions from several young choir members, choosing to address the youth off-the-cuff. A young girl asked the pope what he thought about their music and if he liked to sing. "I would much rather like to hear you all sing today," the pope said. "But if I sang, I would sound like a donkey because I do not know how to sing. I don't even know how to speak well." Recalling his childhood, the pope said his mother would sit him and his siblings in front of the radio to listen to operas and explain the meaning of what was sung, so they learned to appreciate music. "As a child, I learned the pleasure of listening to singing, but I could never sing," he said. "Also my grandfather, who was a carpenter, would always sing while he worked. And the pleasure of listening to someone sing I have had since I was little child." Singing, he continued, educates the soul and does well for the soul. "St. Augustine says a beautiful phrase, and everyone should learn it. Speaking on Christian life, on the joy of Christian life, he says: 'Sing and walk.' Christian life is a path, but it is not a sad path, it is a joyous path, and this is why one must sing." The next question, asked by another young girl, took a more personal turn. "How are you so good? Do you ever get angry?" she asked. She also asked the pope if he had any resolutions for the coming new year. The pope remembered Jesus' response to the young rich man who addressed him as "good master," saying that "only God is good." "We all have the wound of original sin that brings us to not be good all the time, but always remember, only God is good. And if you want to find goodness, go to God. There you will find all goodness, all love, all mercy," he said. He laughingly admitted, however, that while he does get angry, "I do not bite." The pope also said that although he gets mad when someone "does something that isn't good," he calms down by reflecting on the times he has angered others. "Anger is poisonous, it poisons the soul," he warned. "To become angry doesn't only hurt others, it hurts you. There are people who have a bitter soul, always bitter and living angry. It's almost as if they wake up every morning and brush their teeth with vinegar. It is a sickness." Regarding his New Year resolutions, the pope said that after some time of reflection during a personal spiritual retreat, he resolved "to pray more," adding that, like all bishops, his "first job is to pray." The final questions asked to the pope came from a young chorister who wondered what the pope dreamed of becoming when he grew up. She also asked if, with so much bad news seen on television, the world would continue to be so broken when she is older. The pope once again recalled his childhood, saying that when asked by his mother and grandmother what he would like to be when he grew up, he told them he would like to become a butcher. "The way the butchers would cut meat with their knives was like an art form, and I loved seeing that," he said. "Obviously, I changed my mind, but when I was little, I would've like to become a butcher." Taking a more serious tone, the pope answered the young girl's second question, saying that although there are many bad things happening in the world, there are also good things that often are not covered by the media. Pope Francis reminded the young choir members that there is "a war against the truth of God, the truth life and joy" and, as the Bible says, "this battle between the devil and God will continue until the end of time." However, he also said that despite so many negative reports, there are still many who through their lives, manifest the beauty of God. "Let us not be deceived: in the world there are ugly things that are the work of the devil, but there are also holy things that are the work of God," he said.

God's ability to forgive "knows no limits" as his mercy frees people from bitterness and despair, Pope Francis said. "The church's forgiveness must be every bit as broad as that offered by Jesus on the cross and by Mary at his feet. There is no other way," he said on Jan. 1, the feast of Mary, Mother of God, and the World Day of Prayer for Peace. On the first day of the new year, Pope Francis opened the last holy door in Rome as part of the extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy. "The door we have opened is, in fact, a Door of Mercy," he said in his homily, referring to the Roman basilica's large bronze doors depicting Mary presenting her resurrected son, Jesus. "Those who cross its threshold are called to enter into the merciful love of the father with complete trust and freedom from fear; they can leave this basilica knowing with certainty that Mary is ever at their side," especially during times of trouble and sorrow, he said. At the church dedicated to Mary and on her feast day as Mother of God, the pope explained how Mary is the mother of mercy because she bore "the very face of divine mercy," the son of God "made incarnate for our salvation." "Mary is an icon of how the church must offer forgiveness to those who seek it. The mother of forgiveness teaches the church that the forgiveness granted on Golgotha knows no limits. Neither the law with its quibbles, nor the wisdom of this world with its distinctions, can hold it back," he said. Mary offers the world Jesus, who in turn, offers that forgiveness which "renews life, enables us once more to do God's will and fills us with true happiness," the pope said. "The power of forgiveness is the true antidote to the sadness caused by resentment and vengeance," which do nothing but "trouble the mind and wound the heart, robbing it of rest and peace."