The New Year is a great way to find oneself closer to God. There is always the common question of "How am I going to start this New Year with a good resolution?" The answer is simple; find your resolution in God. It is great to cut back on sweets and go to the gym more, but oftentimes I find myself slipping up on those resolutions. Finding a goal in strengthening your relationship with God can be tough as we all live busy lives, but there is always time for God.

"Love the Lord, all His faithful people! The Lord preserves those who are true to Him, but the proud He pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord" (Psalms 31:23-24). The phrase that sticks out to me most is, "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord." This shows that if we are strong in keeping our commitment to God, it will bring us a further step towards Him and eternal life.

A good resolution to follow through this New Year could be to pray more than you have before. To take it a step further, if structured prayer is more beneficial to you, is to be mindful throughout the day, and pray the Examine. The Daily Examine is a prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God's presence and discern his direction for us.

Praying this helps me to remember and give praise and thanks for all the blessings God has given me throughout the day, and not take anything for granted. It has helped me in seeing God in the most simplest of things. Not only does it help me in finding God in my everyday life, it shows me what I need to do to change and improve myself, which is what the New Year is all about.

Other forms of resolution could be going to Mass more often. If you go every so often, try going once a week, as there are so many parishes with different times and opportunities to go attend. If you already go once a week, try going every day.