I remember being in church years ago on the First Sunday of Advent and having the priest remind the congregation that today was the “New Years Day” of the church. It was the beginning of our liturgical year, and he challenged all of us that morning to set some “spiritual resolutions” for ourselves – similar to what most of us do everything January 1st. I’ve never forgotten that Sunday, and I think about it every year on the First Sunday of Advent – which just so happens to be today.

I especially thought about that challenge while sitting in church today. The season of Advent is all about preparing for the coming of Jesus Christ at Christmas, but the theme also extends to the return of Christ at the end of time. No one likes to think about their mortality, but it’s something that we will all face someday. Maybe that theme is what makes setting those types of resolutions so important, especially this time of year. We’re thinking about the end of our earthly journeys, and we’re getting ready to enter into one of the most stressful times of the year for most people….seems like a good time to re-evaluate our goals and set some new ones for ourselves.

I gave it some thought today on my way home from mass. I remembered by “50 by 50” list that I made for myself 5 years ago (WOW! Time flies.), and I started to shame myself for not having made as much progress as I would have liked. I also started to feel embarrassed for not having kept up with this blog like I had planned, too. That’s when I stopped my thoughts in their tracks and began to force them in an upward spiral. When we start to recognize how truly short our time on earth is, it makes us prioritize our lives a little differently and also encourages us to treat ourselves with a little more grace.

We rob ourselves of immense joy by being much too hard on ourselves for so many things. Have I crossed everything off my list? Of course I haven’t. Have I kept up with weekly blog posts like I set out to? Obviously not. However, I have made quite a bit of progress on that list, and I have found more joy in my life in these past five years than I ever had in the previous ten.

Father George asked the congregation this morning, “What would you do if you knew Jesus was coming back RIGHT NOW?” Some parishioners said, “I would kneel in adoration.” Others said, “I would run out to meet him.” A lady in front of me answered, “I would pass out!” (Same, sister. Same.). Father replied, “Those are all great answers. However, if we were to find out that Jesus was on his way back for us our answer should be, ‘Nothing differently than I am doing right now.’ If we are living our lives according to Jesus’ teachings, we wouldn’t feel the need to do anything differently.” That was some hard truth to take, but he’s not wrong.

I’ve often read the question, “What would you do if you found out that you were going to die tomorrow?” I used to think of the trips I would want to take, or the loved ones I would call, or the goals I would attempt to achieve. This morning as I reflected on Father George’s question I began to think, “As long as I’m living and enjoying my life to its fullest, dying tomorrow wouldn’t bother me.”

So for the next year I’m going to concentrate on reconnecting with friends and loved ones, working on my list, and finding as much joy in every day as I possibly can. It’s always a little harder to do those things, especially during this busy time of year. However, what better reason could we have to start now?

Looking forward to a year filled with love and adventure. Have a blessed Sunday, and I plan on being back here next Sunday.