Spiritual New Years Resolutions

[00:00:01] Speaker A: Welcome to Faith Break. Finding God moments in your everyday. Each week on Faith Break, hosts Karen, Luke and Ann Gallagher bring spiritual refreshment to your daily Life. Today is January 5, 2025. Karen and Ann reflect on the call to live deeply with intention and to nurture healthy faith habits in 2025 that can draw us into intimacy with God. [00:00:37] Speaker B: Hi. Hi. Hey, everybody. I'm Ann. [00:00:40] Speaker C: And I'm Karen. [00:00:42] Speaker B: And this is Faith Break. We are Catholic lay ministers. We are moms, we are wives, we are friends, and we are co workers. And this is where we come together every week to talk about finding our God moments in our everyday. [00:00:57] Speaker C: Amen to that. [00:00:58] Speaker B: How are you doing today, Karen? [00:00:59] Speaker C: I'm good. How are you, Anne? [00:01:01] Speaker B: I'm excited. This is our New Year's episode. [00:01:04] Speaker C: Happy New Year. [00:01:05] Speaker B: Happy New Year. Are we ready to say goodbye to 2024 and embrace 2025? [00:01:10] Speaker C: I am. [00:01:11] Speaker B: Yes. [00:01:11] Speaker C: Yes. It was a doozy. [00:01:13] Speaker B: 24 was a doozy. There was a lot that happened last year, personally, professionally, in the world. Everything. So our topic for today, we thought we would spend a little time chatting about spiritual New Year's resolutions. [00:01:30] Speaker C: Yes. [00:01:31] Speaker B: So this isn't like the Catholic diet plan. I guess it could be, but we're talking more about, like, how to give your spiritual life a little bit of a boost or a fresh start at this time of year. But, hey, we should start by talking about our God moments. [00:01:46] Speaker C: Yes. So our God moments. [00:01:48] Speaker B: What was your God moment this week? [00:01:49] Speaker C: So, my God moment, I was making a piece with my son while I was making it. It was a cherry pie, and he wanted to make a pumpkin pie. So he's like, well, I don't want to help if it's a cherry pie. I was like, fine, then don't help if it's a cherry pie. So I'm like, getting ready to put. I'm new to the baking pies, right. I got the cakes down. [00:02:16] Speaker B: You're really good at cakes. [00:02:17] Speaker C: Yeah, I was trying to do the hat. The. [00:02:20] Speaker B: Oh, the. What do you call it? The lattice. [00:02:22] Speaker C: The lattice work. Whatever. So Connor comes up and he goes, oh, that looks like fun. I want to do that. I said, okay. So this goes to, like, part of my New Year's resolution, which I don't really like New Year's resolutions, but we'll get more into that. And I just let it go. I was like, well, I don't really know how to do it, so it can't be any worse than what I would have done. [00:02:41] Speaker B: I can totally see him, like, just diving into that oh, my gosh. And embracing it and having so much fun with it. [00:02:46] Speaker C: Beautiful. [00:02:47] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:02:48] Speaker C: Like we like flip flopped it and everything. And he was so proud of himself. And we baked it. Oh. And then we had extra dough and I had this cookie cutter of a leaf. So he's like, can I cut out leaves and put them on all the open spots? I was like, do it up right. So that was my God moment. There was like two in one. One that I had that experience just that time with Connor. And the other one is like the ability to let it go. [00:03:23] Speaker B: It doesn't have to be perfect and. [00:03:24] Speaker C: It doesn't have to be perfect because it was fun making it. So that was my God moment. What about you? [00:03:30] Speaker B: That's awesome. Well, can we talk about pie first? Cause now you've got me before I go back on. [00:03:34] Speaker C: Absolutely. [00:03:35] Speaker B: I don't love to bake either. I like to cook and stuff. But Brian is really the baker in our family. So when we make like we made an apple pie for Thanksgiving. Even though my uncle was bringing an apple pie, I still had to make a backup one because my grandmother, my Irish Catholic grandmother said a slice of apple pie with a slice of cheddar cheese next to it is a healthy breakfast. So that's what I do on the day after Thanksgiving. [00:04:01] Speaker C: Oh, my gosh. I love it. [00:04:02] Speaker B: So I was afraid we wouldn't have leftover pie. Cause my uncle was bringing the pie for Thanksgiving. So we made a backup pie. But I only do the filling and Brian does like the pastry part. That's the real hard part. [00:04:12] Speaker C: Right. [00:04:13] Speaker B: I don't know. [00:04:14] Speaker C: It was a lot of fun. [00:04:15] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:04:15] Speaker C: So like, we did the cherry pie and not the pumpkin pie because my aunt was bringing a pumpkin pie. Of course we're, you know, making this podcast right after Thanksgiving if you hadn't caught on. [00:04:27] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, we have pie on the brain. Even though, like, yeah, this is the New Year's episode, but we're still back in pie land. [00:04:33] Speaker C: But that's okay. So. Yeah, so it was just super fun. It was just the two of us in the kitchen. And, you know, he's getting older, but he's still my love. Like, he's still my lovey, but it was just fun to. He's like, I don't want anything to do with it. And then he popped in. [00:04:50] Speaker B: He's like, such a great lesson for all of the holiday season too. To be like, just to embrace, like the family moments and not worry about getting everything perfectly and impressing anybody. [00:05:03] Speaker C: It probably looked better that he did It Than what I would have done. [00:05:06] Speaker B: Yeah. And now he gets to say he did it, and he could be so proud of that. [00:05:09] Speaker C: Exactly. All right. What's your mom. [00:05:12] Speaker B: I had a God moment driving in this morning because my phone told me there was a new For King and Country album. [00:05:20] Speaker C: Yay. [00:05:21] Speaker B: And it's a live Christmas. You know, they do the drummer boy concert, so it's a live. So I listened to that all the way in, and the snow was coming, and it was sunny, and it was just a beautiful winter day. [00:05:35] Speaker C: Thank you, God. [00:05:37] Speaker B: And, you know, music. Praying with music is so, like, important to me. That's kind of how I roll. So that was, like, really exciting news. And then I found out, I think they are showing their live concert in the theaters. Movie theaters this week, too. So I think. I think we should go for my birthday. [00:05:55] Speaker C: I think we should go, too. [00:05:56] Speaker B: Cause that's coming up. [00:05:57] Speaker C: Yay. Oh, my gosh. I love God moments. [00:06:00] Speaker B: So. Yeah. And praying with music and a new album by your favorite band is like, come on. Just those little moments. [00:06:06] Speaker C: And before we started the conversation, I was asking Ann, I was like, are you a God moment? Like, do you stop and realize when it's happening that it's your God moment? Or is it like, after the day has gone by and you're reflecting? And so I feel like most of mine are after reflecting. [00:06:24] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:06:25] Speaker C: And not like, oh, hey, God moment. [00:06:29] Speaker B: I think it changes for me. Like, there are definitely some moments in my day where I'm like, oh, that was it. You know, like, that was God tapping me on the shoulder. That was. That was my moment. But there are other ones that especially, I think sometimes looking back longer than a day, like, if you want to look back over the week or something like that, reflection is important. And I think it's harder for me to do that at the end of the day than at the beginning of the day. So that might have something to do with my prayer habits, too. But, hey, this is all feeding into our spiritual New Year's resolutions conversation, huh? [00:07:02] Speaker C: It is. [00:07:02] Speaker B: And how are we going to make 20, 25 a fresh start and maybe a time to recommit. What do you think about resolutions in general? I feel like we need to get this out of the. Out of the way. [00:07:18] Speaker C: I personally. [00:07:18] Speaker B: Are you a resolutions person? [00:07:20] Speaker C: I am. For about a month. [00:07:21] Speaker B: Yeah. Okay. That's fair. [00:07:23] Speaker C: Yep. I mean, I will be completely 1,000% honest. You know the phrase, like, it takes 20 doing something 27 times or for 27 days to make it a habit? [00:07:35] Speaker B: Yes. [00:07:35] Speaker C: Well, I never get to that. 27 days. [00:07:41] Speaker B: I think we all feel that. I think that's the problem with, like, the whole New Year's resolutions thing is that we can go in for two weeks and then we're like, gosh. [00:07:49] Speaker C: And then just life happens. You know, I always say, I'm gonna get up in the morning. I love your morning routine. [00:07:56] Speaker B: I'm good in the morning. [00:07:57] Speaker C: I know. [00:07:57] Speaker B: I am good in the morning. [00:07:58] Speaker C: I'm so good. And I'm like, I know I shouldn't be envious of it, but I kind of am. Like, I love the fact that you're. [00:08:03] Speaker B: Better at night than I am, but. [00:08:04] Speaker C: I am better at night. But I feel like if I could flip flop and start my day the way that you started, I feel like it would be more beneficial for me because like you said, then what I'm doing is I'm just reflecting on the day instead of preparing for the day. [00:08:23] Speaker B: Right. [00:08:24] Speaker C: And I like the idea of preparing for the day, but I just can't get up. [00:08:31] Speaker B: So maybe that's not your time, though. You gotta find your time. What works for you. You know, I was actually thinking about that this morning because I was. So we have the Christmas tree up now, and I think I talked to you last year about the fact that our Christmas tree sits in the middle of our house. Yeah. Cause we have, like, one big open space. And the chair that's normally in the spot where the Christmas tree lives gets moved over towards, like, the back door onto the deck. So it's like near the window. And there's something about putting that chair in that spot that feels very, like, special. And so we all end up fighting over sitting in that chair. But I got up first this morning. Brian slept in by a few minutes. So I got the chair. The chair first for prayer time. Yeah. But then I'm sitting there with my coffee, trying to, like, reflect and stuff. And like, you know, my daughter is coming in and out because she's got a field trip today. And so the lunch packing is different. And she wants Brian to drive her to school instead of taking the bus. And Brian's phone didn't charge overnight and he's looking for a charger. And, like, all this is happening. And I was like, you know, there's a reason I do this in my bedroom, not in the computer. [00:09:39] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:09:39] Speaker B: Because if you just have to be flexible. Right. Like, you definitely want to set up, you know, the habits that are gonna put a structure in your life so that you can have space for God, but, like, it's never gonna be perfect. [00:09:53] Speaker C: Right. [00:09:54] Speaker B: With a family, people in your home. Like, it just isn't. It isn't so. [00:09:59] Speaker C: And it wouldn't be fun to be in solitude all the time, too. So I. [00:10:02] Speaker B: No, yeah. It was worth it to be out in the light of the Christmas tree. Even with all the, you know, chaos of 6am in the gallery household, I. [00:10:11] Speaker C: Feel like if I get my Christmas tree up, I'll have better time. Because I do. Like, when the kids go to bed, the tree is still on, and it's dark and all the lights are off, but the tree and I just sit on the couch, so. Okay. Maybe this week is my time to get the tree up. Okay. [00:10:31] Speaker B: Let's get to our spiritual New Year's resolutions. We will still have our tree up, by the way, when this airs, we definitely keep it up all the way through. Usually through baptism of the Lord. As long as the needles aren't falling off. [00:10:44] Speaker C: Yeah. I'm glad that you said that, because I really have anxiety when I see the Christmas tree on the side of the road on December 26th. [00:10:54] Speaker B: I know. We're just starting this. It's a whole season. [00:10:57] Speaker C: Why? [00:10:57] Speaker B: So we're still in the Christmas season right now. [00:10:59] Speaker C: We're in the Christmas season. [00:11:00] Speaker B: Yes. [00:11:00] Speaker C: Yes. [00:11:01] Speaker B: Hold onto it. Enjoy it. Make the most of it. [00:11:04] Speaker C: Yeah. Keep the quiet. [00:11:05] Speaker B: Don't be in a rush, you know? Yeah. And we get a nice long break this year, too, with the way the school breaks, falls. It's like two whole weeks home with the family. [00:11:14] Speaker C: Yep. [00:11:14] Speaker B: Yeah. So right around this time, the 5th, January 5th, you guys might be getting ready to go be like, all right, get everybody back into the normal routine. [00:11:22] Speaker C: That song. It's like, the parents can't wait for school to start again. [00:11:25] Speaker B: Oh, it's the most wonderful time of the year. Yeah. That's the back to school ad. [00:11:29] Speaker C: That's. [00:11:31] Speaker B: Karen, did you ever have, like, can you think of any New Year's resolutions that you have ever made that actually stuck, ever? Not one. [00:11:41] Speaker C: No. Like, seriously, it's like, the ones. I think the ones that I have done are, like, so big. Like, they're almost unattainable. Right. [00:11:53] Speaker B: I have, like, you're setting the bar too high. [00:11:55] Speaker C: Way high. Like, lose X amount of weight or eat healthier and pack my lunches and all this stuff. And it's like, instead of just saying, okay, let's try it for a week. I, like, set out this whole plan for the year. So I can honestly say I don't think that there has been one new Year's. Resolution. [00:12:20] Speaker B: I was trying to think of my answer to this question earlier and I think way back when I was like in high school or something, I set a New Year's resolution to floss every day. And I have kept that one. Yay. [00:12:33] Speaker C: Your dental hygienist is so proud of you. [00:12:35] Speaker B: I know, but I'm like, you know what? That was like, small. It was manageable and it was practical and it was something I should have been doing anyway. So like, I think maybe we're thinking about New Year's resolutions the wrong way when we try to set up these grand like, schemes for us. So really it's just about like, can we set an intention for what we want our year to be like or our days to be like? And especially when we're talking about prayer and like spiritual resolutions. Like, maybe it's not a whole overhaul, maybe it's a tweak. [00:13:07] Speaker C: Yeah, I like that better than an overhaul. Cause tweaks seem more manageable. [00:13:13] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:13:13] Speaker C: You know, and you're not feeling so. Like sometimes I have this all or nothing personality. Like I'm either all in. [00:13:23] Speaker B: Oh yeah. [00:13:24] Speaker C: And then if I slip, I'm like, eh, whatever. And then I just go right back. I don't even. Or then I feel like super guilty. Right. And that's not the idea of a resolution is not to feel guilty. It's to become something better than what you were before. And the amazing thing about like the spiritual resolution is that we're made in the image and likeness of God. So we're already perfect in God's eyes. But our eyes, we aren't. So like, what can we do for, you know, tweak a little day? You know, I already know that morning is not good for me. So maybe not waiting until night, but instead of having the whole lunch hour with the co workers, maybe I go into the chapel and pray. [00:14:17] Speaker B: See, this is a real benefit of working at the church is that you can always go into the Adoration chapel and no one is going to bother you in there. No, no one is going to bother you in there. You can go in for five minutes and like, yeah, that's a great idea. [00:14:33] Speaker C: So I think, like, I know I'm probably jumping, but like you had talked about or last year we had talked about a word. [00:14:41] Speaker B: Word of the year. Yes. Remember we talked about that earlier this fall too. [00:14:45] Speaker C: And I did not do so well. I don't even remember what my word was. [00:14:49] Speaker B: I remember my word, but I lost track of it. [00:14:52] Speaker C: So my word for this year is hope. Hey, hey, when I was thinking about this, and it's. My hope is for more intentional prayer. So I'm really good with automatic prayer or a quick prayer in the car. But that intentional. I'm going to devote. When I was doing the annotation, the spiritual exercises, that was hard for me. That was like 40 minutes of intentional prayer, and I'm like, scratching my skin. I'm like, oh, my gosh, how can I do this? It's only been five minutes. So that is my hope. And I also found a verse from Romans, chapter 12, verse 12. It says, Rejoice in hope, endure affliction, and persevere in prayer. [00:15:54] Speaker B: We talked about that during our hope episodes. Yes. Oh, you found your word. [00:15:59] Speaker C: I found my word. And then also Saint Catherine of Siena. [00:16:03] Speaker B: Yes. [00:16:03] Speaker C: Patron saint of the church. She has a quote that says, nothing great has ever been achieved without enduring much. [00:16:11] Speaker B: Ooh. [00:16:13] Speaker C: So it's like, obviously things aren't just gonna fall in our lap as much as we want them to. [00:16:18] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm glad you said that because I was thinking about the word of the year thing too. Cause I think, you know, in the new, with the, with the turning of the calendar page, we always feels like a new start and a fresh step. Right, Fresh start and a new step. And it also, I mean, I found myself looking back at the year that's passed and kind of doing some reflection about, like, well, what happened in the year past and what are my hopes for the coming year. And last year I picked the word promise, and it was all tied to the story of the visitation with Mary and Elizabeth. And blessed are you who believe that what God spoke to you is true. But like we spoke about in one of our Advent episodes, like, God's timeline for keeping the promise is not a year. It's maybe not even a lifetime. And so I think I'm going to stick with that because I think that word is just beginning for me. And. Yeah. And like, there's just been a lot going on family wise with parents and kids and everything. And I just know we're still at the beginning of this season or we're in the middle of this season. And it's not like things are gonna be resolved or, you know, so right now, I think with that for my new year's resolution, it's like, how can I spend this year not just stating the word and thinking about this great Bible verse that gives me so much hope and comfort, but, like, letting God do it in his own time and unpacking, like, letting it be something that is happening, is happening now, but will not come into fruition until it's ready. [00:18:03] Speaker C: It's so hard. [00:18:05] Speaker B: Yeah. And here we are. We just got out of Advent. We're looking to the. But I think I live in Advent. I think Advent is, like, my natural state in terms of, like, the liturgical year. Yeah. I just. I feel like that's kind of. I read in. Father Rob wrote in one of the bulletin articles this past Advent season that he wished we had six weeks for Advent the way we do for Lent. And I had never heard anybody put it like that, but I totally agreed with him because it's like, it's so rich and it goes so fast. And during that time, we're so caught up in, like, the preparations for Christmas and all the busyness of the season. And so I think it just might be an Advent kind of year for me. In 2025, we'll see what God has in store. But. [00:18:52] Speaker C: What you were saying about, like, the six weeks of Lent and only four weeks of Advent, like, I feel like in Lent, we don't have that cultural expectation as we do for Christmas. Right, right. So it would make a lot. [00:19:10] Speaker B: It's much less commercialized. There's less going on, like, socially. [00:19:14] Speaker C: Right, right. [00:19:15] Speaker B: It's a different time. [00:19:16] Speaker C: How many of us have Easter parties? [00:19:18] Speaker B: No, I know. [00:19:19] Speaker C: With friends. Or, like, Eastermiss Easter. Friends miss. Or, you know, friends give me. [00:19:25] Speaker B: Yeah, Friends. Easter. [00:19:26] Speaker C: Yeah, Friends. [00:19:27] Speaker B: We don't do that. [00:19:28] Speaker C: Friends. Easter. [00:19:29] Speaker B: No. [00:19:31] Speaker C: But, yeah, if. If we can link Deacon Eric's homily from the first weekend of Advent to this was a phenomenal. [00:19:44] Speaker B: He talked all about waiting. [00:19:45] Speaker C: Waiting and how he hates to wait. And I feel the same way when. [00:19:50] Speaker B: He talked about when he's in traffic, he'd rather go an hour in the wrong direction at 20 miles an hour rather than still in traffic. I was. Brian, like, nudged me. I was like, I know. We've definitely done that. I'd rather be moving, even if it's the wrong direction, super slowly than not at all. I know. That's. [00:20:11] Speaker C: But jumping back into, you know, our New Year's and everything, it's like, maybe we do just have. I mean, we are waiting. Right. We're waiting for Jesus. And maybe we can't always be happier moving. [00:20:30] Speaker B: Mm. Right. So maybe the New Year's resolution, spiritual New Year's resolution, is less about going full speed ahead and more about setting a direction. Like, which way are you pointing? [00:20:43] Speaker C: Right. And we've talked about this in our ministry. [00:20:45] Speaker B: Yes. [00:20:46] Speaker C: Because we've had a lot of Changes. [00:20:48] Speaker B: Yes. [00:20:48] Speaker C: And I don't really want to say expectations because I think maybe our expectations on ourselves, but like that letting go and maybe not having to do everything that has already been done or been done previously. And, you know, we're thinking about the families too. We know that if we're busy, we know you guys are busy. And I think maybe like just that pause of just giving ourselves permission to breathe and be present in the moments where we are instead of thinking of what else we need to do. [00:21:38] Speaker B: You don't have to do all the things, but you can pick one thing and do it really well. [00:21:44] Speaker C: Yes. [00:21:44] Speaker B: You know, and you can set an intention for. And it doesn't take a lot of time when we're talking about committing to a personal prayer habit. Like, we talk all the time about the 19th annotation, which is a version of the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius in everyday life. And that's like, you know, an hour of prayer a day, but for people who aren't doing. And you only do the Exercises like once or maybe twice in your life. Right. Like, so that's not what most people can do every day. Right. But like, Everybody can do five minutes, five intentional minutes. And once you do five, you probably will find yourself, you know, leaning into 10 or whatever. So just like having that desire and honoring that desire to find daily time to be with God intentionally, I think is one of the most life changing things we can do. And I know we've been really trying to help our young people and their families experiment with different prayer styles this year and get in the habit of just praying for a few minutes a day and seeing where that takes them. [00:22:49] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:22:51] Speaker B: So, yeah, I think it's less about maybe having a great grand scheme of things because, you know, like you said, like, the diet thing doesn't work. We're done in two dry January. Okay. And like, but like, when you're talking about prayer, like, that's. It's important to get this right. And it doesn't have to be something we do intensely for a short period. We want to set ourselves up for like a lifetime of intimacy with God. And it can't be rushed or forced. [00:23:18] Speaker C: Well, that's why if like you're doing this grand thing, like, okay, I'm gonna pray 15 minutes every day, and then things get in the way. It's like, you know, just, let's do five minutes once a week. And then once you're consistent with that five minutes once a week, you're gonna find yourself. And I'm talking like, I do It. Right. I'm talking, like, I'm the expert and I'm not. [00:23:44] Speaker B: We all have to, like, do it. [00:23:45] Speaker C: In our own way. [00:23:46] Speaker B: I know it's hard. [00:23:48] Speaker C: It's hard. And one of the things that I love about doing these podcasts is because even though I work for the church, this stuff does not come easy for me. [00:24:01] Speaker B: Right. [00:24:01] Speaker C: And I want that. I like sharing that with people because sometimes I feel like we're put on this different pedestal. Like, oh, well, they work for the church. They have all this time to pray. My husband laughs. He's like, you work for the church. How stressful can it be? Like, just go pray and quiet. Right? Like, yeah, okay. We're caught up in, like, getting out in everything else. But yeah. And I probably am saying it because I'm trying to make myself believe it. Right, Right. Like, just relax. [00:24:34] Speaker B: Yeah, relax. So let's give it. Let's do, like, a lightning round of, like, some ideas that maybe they don't appeal to all of us, but might appeal to some people for ways to kickstart faith in the new year. [00:24:47] Speaker C: Okay. [00:24:48] Speaker B: So I'm gonna. I'm. Since I already shouted it out, I'm gonna shout it out again. But, like, join us in our prayer challenges of the month at the parish. You can find them in our bulletin, in our newsletters, on the bulletin boards all over the place. But our young people are doing a different prayer challenge every month this year where we're trying to teach them in five minutes a day how to experiment with prayer. And we're inviting all of our parishioners to join us. So that's an easy one. Geared towards the teens, but applicable to anybody. And I just like the idea that it's a five minute challenge. [00:25:22] Speaker C: Yep. [00:25:23] Speaker B: So I invite you to check that out. [00:25:26] Speaker C: Okay. I'm gonna say listen to some Christian music on your way to work. [00:25:34] Speaker B: Yep. [00:25:35] Speaker C: And just put all the. Whatever you usually listen to out the window. And just when you're listening to it, you're praying with it, even though it doesn't feel like that. So that's my one. [00:25:52] Speaker B: Yeah. And you can listen to, like, there's Christian music channels. [00:25:55] Speaker C: Yep, there's everywhere. [00:25:56] Speaker B: We also. [00:25:57] Speaker C: Why can't I think of P. Love? [00:26:00] Speaker B: There's probably other ones on, like, Sirius. If you listen to Sirius. Yeah. [00:26:03] Speaker C: Or Spotify. [00:26:04] Speaker B: Just put it in Spotify. We have a page on Spotify with playlists that we do for the teenagers, all contemporary Christian music. You can check that out if you want a playlist on a certain theme. Yeah. Praying with music. Is I think one of the best. Cause, yeah, I can do it in the car. You can do it when you go for a walk. You can. Like getting ready. Soundtrack to your life. Right. Where you're cooking dinner. [00:26:27] Speaker C: Okay. The soundtrack to My Life would definitely not be one of those Christian songs. [00:26:33] Speaker B: I was thinking about that this summer when we were doing, like, all the political conventions and everybody had their own walk on music. Like, what would my walk on music be? I don't have an answer yet, but maybe 2025 will reveal it to me. Like what my walk on music in life. [00:26:46] Speaker C: Or if you guys feel like you have a song for us that would be our walk on, let us know. Cause that would be really funny. [00:26:53] Speaker B: Right? [00:26:54] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:26:55] Speaker B: Anyway, what else could people do? They could listen to our podcast every week. [00:26:59] Speaker C: Yeah. Like you're doing now. Oh, I love spontaneous prayer. [00:27:03] Speaker B: Yes. [00:27:03] Speaker C: And lately I have been spontaneously praying for patience. [00:27:11] Speaker B: Yeah, me too, sister. [00:27:13] Speaker C: Over the break or the holidays of Thanksgiving, I did lose my voice. And I was telling everybody I've lost my voice along with my patience and my, you know, my brain, obviously. But I think that that's really important. Like, even if you're. Or just if you had a really good morning with the kids. Gratitude prayer of thank you. That was just so easy this morning. Thank you for making it easy. Or, you know. [00:27:42] Speaker B: Yeah. And the teenagers have told me cause for our November prayer challenge. We did gratitude. So. So we challenged them to either just think about or to write down at the end of the day three things they were grateful for. And we had great feedback from teens who maybe aren't like full out journalers, but who found the act of writing down a few things they were grateful for at the end of the day to be really encouraging and life changing. So that would be one too, even if you don't want to start a whole full journaling habit. You could keep a list of things you're grateful for and you could keep a list of intentions or people you want to pray for. And that just. I think it puts a little more intention around some of the most basic ways to pray. Right. To give thanks and to ask for help. [00:28:26] Speaker C: Absolutely. Do you want to end with one of your scripture passages that you found on. Is there one that. [00:28:35] Speaker B: I have several. [00:28:36] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:28:37] Speaker B: So we found some scripture passages all about new beginnings, fresh starts. So here's 1 from Lamentations 3. 22, 23. The Lord's Acts of mercy are not exhausted. His compassion is not spent. They are renewed each morning. Great is your faithfulness. So I like that One, because it's like, okay, it's a new year, but every day we get a new day. We get a fresh start every day. And so even if you start 2025 with all these plans to, like, grow closer to God, to improve your prayer life, and even if you lose sight of that, like, every morning is a fresh start. God's love is new every morning. It doesn't just. You don't have to start in January with the New Year's resolution. [00:29:22] Speaker C: So the one that popped out to me was from Philippians 4. It wasn't one that you had sent, but chapter 4, verse 6. And if you know me by now, you're gonna know exactly why I picked this. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And it's just the anxiety part of life lately for me, that's just been very difficult. But knowing that, like you were saying, the gratitude, the intentions, and just being able to say now, I'm not saying, like, I'm gonna give everything to God, and tomorrow it's gonna be fixed. Cause we talked about it's not our time, it's God's time. But just, like, try not to be anxious about the things, even though it's very difficult. [00:30:27] Speaker B: Yeah, well, part of that is, like, letting go, right? And I think that's actually one of the graces of this time of year. Like, honoring what the past has held, but not clinging to it so that we can be open to receive what God wants to give us in the new year. Like, a bunch of the scripture passages I found kind of get at that. That idea of, like, so. 2nd Corinthians 5:17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, and, behold, the new has come. So if you're at a point in your life where, like, maybe the last year was rough and maybe this changing of the calendar year is a time to kind of sweep away whatever was negative or painful or challenging and to kind of just have a new energy for your next year. Like, that's really something that God is always doing in our lives. But this time of year is a good reminder for all of us that that's how God is working. You know? [00:31:31] Speaker C: Another one that I found, I loved, because it's not. It's like an everyday thing from Colossians 3, chapter. Chapter 3, verse 17. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. So I mean, that's like one way we could pray is like, oh, we were talking about it during Advent, right? Like, lovingly whip up the scrambled eggs at five in the morning for breakfast for your children. You know, like, everything that you do. [00:32:12] Speaker B: Just in your everyday, in your everyday. [00:32:14] Speaker C: Intention, like, all right, this is not only for me, but this is for God and my family, other people I'll be passing by. So again, it's an everyday new thing. Every minute we get a new start, right? [00:32:31] Speaker B: And I think leaving space for God to be a God of surprises in a new year, because, you know, if we set out with all of these intensive resolutions or things that are, you know, just too much for us really to do, we're not leaving space for the spirit to like, wiggle around a whole lot. And she likes to do that. So I think some of these, the scripture passages I found were about like, well, God's going to do a new thing, like something you haven't even thought of yet. God could be just waiting to surprise you with something that is beyond your expectations or beyond your hopes or just totally different. So here's a couple more for that. Isaiah 43, 18, 19. Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing now. It springs forth. Do you not perceive it? And then Revelation 21:5, the one who sat on the throne said, behold, I am making all things new. And then he said, write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true. So, yeah, God promises things. We're back to the promise again. But the unfolding of that promise can be beautiful in ways we haven't imagined yet. So how about in 2025, maybe clinging a little less and maybe giving God just a little bit more room to groove. [00:34:00] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:34:01] Speaker B: In our everydays, just give yourself grace. [00:34:05] Speaker C: I think that's where we tend to fail sometimes, because we're so set on these intentions that when we do fail, kudos to you if you haven't let me know how that goes. But, like, just that grace of like, all right, maybe just. It's okay. [00:34:27] Speaker B: Yeah, it's okay. Well, we are wishing all of you a fantastic and very blessed 2025. [00:34:34] Speaker C: Yay. I can't believe it's 2025. [00:34:36] Speaker B: I know. Do you ever see those memes where it's like, you think that, like, 1995 was 10 years ago? [00:34:43] Speaker C: But yeah, not okay, just really fast. So I graduated in 1999 from high school and our theme song was the Prince song party. Like, it's 1999 and we thought that was like, so far in the future. So far in the future. And then now, like when Emma or when my daughter went into kindergarten and he was like, welcome, graduating class of 2027. You're like, what? [00:35:13] Speaker B: Do you know what my kids said to me the other day in the car? There's such stinkers. We had Brian, I had like, I don't know, some, like, awesome music playing. And the kids were like, guys, could we have some music not from the 1900s? Oh, geez. In 1900s? [00:35:30] Speaker C: Well, it's true. The music we listened to was from the 1900s. Okay, on that note, happy 2025. [00:35:40] Speaker B: Happy 2025, everybody. [00:35:45] Speaker A: Thanks for taking a faith break with us today. Karen, Luke and Anne Gallagher are lay ministers with the parishes of St. Catherine of Siena in Menden, New York, and Church of the Transfiguration in Pittsford, New York. More about our parishes, including weekly live streamed Sunday Mass, can be found at stcath.org or transfiguration pittsford.org Engineering Today is by Jeff Beckett. Join us for new episodes of Faith Break each week in Studio on YouTube or on your favorite audio podcast or music.