By mid-January, many New Year’s resolutions have already faded. The optimism of January 1 often gives way to frustration when real life reasserts itself. Change is hard. Habits—whether patterns of sin, coping, or thinking—are formed over time and do not disappear overnight. St. Thomas Aquinas understood this well, teaching that growth requires patience, perseverance, and God’s grace. Pope Francis echoes that wisdom, reminding us that the Lord never tires of forgiving.
On the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the Church invites us to look beyond resolutions and return to identity. At baptism, we are claimed as God’s own—chosen, upheld, and formed by Him. Real and lasting change does not begin with trying harder, but with remembering who we are in Christ. If you’ve stumbled already this year, do not be discouraged. God has not given up on you. He is still forming you, still calling you His own—and still restoring all things in Christ.
Living in Love with God 
Leave a comment