Holiness Is Possible This Year: A Catholic Approach to Resolutions
By the time January is in full swing, many of us are already rethinking our resolutions. The enthusiasm of New Year’s Day has faded, routines have crept back in, and that familiar question starts to surface: Is lasting change actually possible?
The Catholic tradition offers a refreshingly hopeful answer: yes—but not in the way we often imagine. Holiness isn’t about dramatic overhauls or perfectly executed plans. It’s about learning to live differently in the life you already have.
Rethinking What a “Resolution” Really Is
When we think of resolutions, we often picture long lists and big goals: pray more, be more patient, stop procrastinating, get everything right. While the intentions are good, this approach can quietly turn growth into pressure.
A Catholic approach begins somewhere else. Instead of asking, What should I fix about myself? we might ask, Where is God already inviting me to grow?
Holiness isn’t self-improvement for its own sake. It’s cooperation with grace—small, steady choices that allow God to work in us over time.
Start Where You Are, Not Where You Think You “Should” Be
One of the biggest obstacles to spiritual growth is the belief that we need ideal conditions to begin: more time, more focus, fewer responsibilities. In reality, God meets us in the middle of ordinary life—work deadlines, family dinners, unanswered emails, and quiet exhaustion.
A simple, realistic resolution might look like this:
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Begin each day with a brief prayer, even just a few seconds of offering the day to God.
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Choose one moment—driving, washing dishes, walking—to intentionally turn your thoughts toward Him.
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End the day with a short reflection: Where did I notice God today?
These aren’t impressive habits. They’re sustainable ones.
Choose One Small Practice That Shapes the Whole Day
Instead of making many resolutions, choose one small practice that can gently shape the rest of your day. This might be a short passage of Scripture, a daily spiritual reading, or a single intention you return to when things feel scattered.
Fr. Edward G. Maristany’s new book, Heaven Can’t Wait: A Glimpse of the Eternal in the Present, speaks directly to this mindset. Rather than encouraging escape from the world, it invites readers to recognize how eternal realities are already present in everyday moments. It’s a reminder that holiness doesn’t pull us away from life—it deepens it.
Let Eternity Change How You Live Today
One of the most motivating perspectives for lasting change is remembering why holiness matters at all. We aren’t striving to become better versions of ourselves just to feel accomplished. We’re learning to live now in light of eternity.
When daily life feels overwhelming or repetitive, keeping heaven in view can reframe even the smallest choices. Patience, fidelity, kindness, and prayer take on new meaning when we see them as participation in something far greater than the moment at hand.
Expect Progress, Not Perfection
Perhaps the most freeing resolution you can make this year is to let go of perfection. Growth in holiness is rarely linear. Some days will feel focused and prayerful; others will feel distracted and heavy. What matters is returning—again and again—to God with trust.
Holiness is possible this year. Not because you’ll get everything right, but because God is faithful, patient, and already at work in your life.
And sometimes, the holiest resolution of all is simply this: to keep showing up.
