H/T to Father Daniel Gordon Dozier, my Byzantine sibling, who posted this on January 1. 

It comes from Bishop Michael Ramsey, Anglican theologian and the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury (1961-1974). He offered these five points to his clergy during a talk. They’ve been  shared often in the Anglican world and I think they need a wider circulation. I don’t think he’s telling us anything we don’ty already know, but they are excellent reminders. I offer this for my Catholic clergy brothers — and anyone else who may be looking to the next 364 days praying for guidance, inspiration and light.  

1. Thank God. Often and always. Thank Him carefully and wonderingly for your continuing privileges and for every experience of His goodness. Thankfulness is a soil in which pride does not easily grow.

2. Take care about confession of your sins. As time passes the habit of being critical about people and things grows more than each of us realize

3. Be ready to accept humiliations. They can hurt terribly but they can help to keep you humble. [Whether trivial or big, accept them, he says.]  All these can be so many chances to be a little nearer to our Lord. There is nothing to fear, if you are near to the Lord and in His hands.

4. Do not worry about status. There is only one status that our Lord bids us be concerned with, and that is our proximity to Him. “If a man serve me, let him follow me, and where I am there also shall my servant be”. (John 12:26) That is our status; to be near our Lord wherever He may ask us to go with him.

5. Use your sense of humor. Laugh at things, laugh at the absurdities of life, laugh at yourself.

Through the year people will thank God for you. And let the reason for their thankfulness be not just that you were a person whom they liked or loved, but because you made God real to them.

P.S. As a little bonus, I’d also like to add this short thought from the great Catholic spiritual guide, Henri Nouwen, from his book You are the Beloved: 

We must learn to live each day, each hour, yes, each minute as a new beginning, as a unique opportunity to make everything new. Imagine that we could live each moment as a moment pregnant with new life. Imagine that we could live each day as a day full of promises. Imagine that we could walk through the new year always listening to the voice saying to us: “I have a gift for you and can’t wait for you to see it!” Imagine.