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?
Finding St Anthony Among the Lost Items
Saint Anthony of Padua, though often associated with finding lost articles, was primarily known in his lifetime as a powerful and eloquent preacher. Originally a Canon Regular of St. Augustine, he was inspired to join the newly formed Franciscan order after witnessing the martyrdom of the first Franciscan missionaries in Morocco. His conversion to the mendicant life under St. Francis of Assisi transformed him, deepening his commitment to poverty, humility, and evangelical preaching. Gifted with profound theological knowledge and a captivating speaking style, he traveled across Italy and France, drawing immense crowds with his clear and passionate sermons, converting many and combating heresy with his unwavering faith and intellectual rigor. Beyond his public ministry, St. Anthony was a mystic who enjoyed profound spiritual experiences, most notably a vision of the Infant Jesus. This intimate connection with the Christ Child is a hallmark of his iconography, often depicting him c...