According to the data, most people have already given up on their resolutions for 2014. So, I thought that this would be a good time to share the resolutions that Pope Francis made for this year, in hopes that it will reinvigorate us to continue our quest to do better. Also, his list is full of great ideas for us to incorporate into our lives as well. (This came from an interview by Paterno Esmaquel II originally posted on Rappler. It is a series of Pope Francis quotes in the form of New Year’s resolutions.)
1. Don’t gossip. “When we gossip, we are doing what Judas did and begin to tear the other person to pieces. Every time we judge our brother/sister in our hears or worse when we speak badly of them with others, we are murdering Christians. There is no such thing as innocent slander.”
2. Finish your meals. “We should all remember that throwing food away is like stealing from the tables of the poor, the hungry! I encourage everyone to reflect on the problem of thrown away and wasted food to identify ways and means that, by seriously addressing this issue, are a vehicle of solidarity and sharing with the needy.”
3. Make time for others. Tending to 1.2 billion members, Pope Francis seems too busy for anything else. But he always manages to do things like write a handwritten note to a Jesuit he has never met. Fr. James Martin received this letter, to which Fr. Martin said, “If the Pope can find time to be kind to others, if he can pause to say thank you, if he can take a moment to make someone feel appreciated, then so can we.”
4. Choose the “more humble” purchase. “Certainly, possessions, money and power can give a momentary thrill, the illusion of being happy, but they end up possessing us and making us always want to have more, never satisfied. Put on Christ in your life, place your trust in him, and you will never be disappointed.”
5. Meet the poor in the flesh. “The sick must be cared for, even when we find them repulsive and repugnant. Those in prison must be visited. Charity that does not change the situation of the poor isn’t enough.”
6. Stop judging others. “If we, each doing our own part, if we do good to others, if we meet there, doing good, and we go slowly, gently, little by little, we will make that culture of encounter: we need that so much. We must meet one another doing good.”
7. Befriend those who disagree. “When leaders in various fields ask me for advice, my response is always the same: dialogue, dialogue, dialogue. It is the only way for individuals, families, and societies to grow, the only way for the life of peoples to progress, along with the culture of encounter, a culture in which all have something good to give and all can receive something good in return.”
8. Make commitments, such as marriage. “Today, there are those who say that marriage is out of fashion. They say that it is not worth making a life-long commitment because they don’t know what tomorrow will bring. I ask you, instead, to be revolutionaries, to swim against the tide. I have confidence in you and I pray for you. Have the courage to be happy.”
9. Make it a habit to ask the Lord. “Dear young people, some of you may not yet know what you will do with your lives. Ask the Lord, and he will show you the way. You too can ask the Lord, what do you want me to do? What path am I to follow?”
10. Be happy. “The Christian sings with joy, and walks, and carries this joy. This joy should translate to love of neighbor.”
