“Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4
During this past week, I have been pondering what my one-word resolution should be for 2025. I started doing this a few years ago. Instead of coming up with a long list of resolutions that I can’t complete, I pick just one word for the year.
The word that keeps coming up in my mind is “perseverance.” Perseverance is the continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition. This is something that I tend to struggle with. I love to dream and start new projects, but I give up at the first sign of difficulty. I cannot tell you how many projects I have started in my lifetime, but most of them have been abandoned when things have gotten hard. I fear rejection and opposition, therefore I give up without even trying.
On Sunday, we celebrated the feast of the Holy Family. I attended Mass at St. Augustine Catholic Church, and Father Vigoa mentioned “perseverance” in his homily. This confirmed that I’m on the right track with my resolution.
What a great example of perseverance we find in the Holy Family. If there was someone that faced difficulties, failure and opposition was the Holy Family. Their lives were marked by hardship. Since the moment of the Annunciation, Mary faced difficulties. But she persevered because she trusted God. Joseph found all kinds of obstacles in his path, from not being able to find lodging in Bethlehem to having to escape to Egypt. Yet, he obeyed God and he did not give up. He persevered in spite of the obstacles. And Jesus never allowed anything or anyone to stand in His way. He did not care if He was rejected or opposed. He had a mission and He persevered all the way to the cross. What made them holy was not the absence of hardship, but their love for each other and their trust in God.
In 2025, I will choose to persevere, no matter what difficulties, failure, or opposition I encounter in my path. And I will use the Holy Family as my guiding light. I know that if I stay close to them, the obstacles will not disappear, but they will help me to overcome them.
Copyright © 2025 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.
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