Every new year I vow to lose weight, I resolve that I will do less web browsing and I promise myself that I will exercise more. I commit to becoming a better person. It never works.


I must say that I have lost a little weight and I have exercised more over the past decade, but that has not made me a better person. A little less fat, yes, but not better.


In his sermon on the Feast of the Holy Family, Father David Brinkmiller caused me to understand why this is so. He said, "If we decide to be a better person we tend to focus on ourselves. This is egotistical. To make ourselves better we must somehow do so without focusing on ourselves." What an insight!

So, for 2010 I resolve to say "Yes!" to what pleases God, to whatever God tells me to do. That might mean saying "Yes!" to taking better care of my body and surfing the web less frequently, but I will only do so for God, not for me. You may not notice the difference, but I will. More importantly, so will God.


peace and love,
aj