New Year’s Eve is special for the Daughters of St. Paul. On this day in 1900, sixteen-year-old James Alberione, the future founder of the Daughters of St. Paul and the Pauline Family, knelt before Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration and prayed for the new century that was unfolding. During his prayer, he heard an invitation from Jesus: “Come to me.”
These three words opened young James to the immensity of God’s love for the world and for him. He knew God was calling him to respond to this love and to spread it with the fastest means the twentieth century would provide. As the new year began, James resolved to follow Jesus more closely, with a renewed purpose, focus, and passion.
What are your dreams for the year ahead? How is God calling you to step forward in your relationship with him and others? It is no coincidence that January 1 is a Holy Day of obligation in the dioceses of the United States and Canada. By attending Mass on the first day of the year (or on New Year’s Eve), we can place ourselves and the coming year in God’s hands. We can ask forgiveness for the sins and mistakes of 2024 and ask for the grace we need in 2025. We can listen attentively to the readings and prayers and note what catches our attention as a possible invitation from the Holy Spirit. Does a word of Scripture touch your heart? Does one of the prayers move you? Have you ever wondered why we do or say something at Mass but never took the time to find out? Now is a great time.
If you need ideas or support for making holy resolutions in the year ahead, keep scrolling—we have a few! And as always, know of our prayers for you before the Blessed Sacrament, especially as we begin our retreat tonight.
In Jesus our Way, Truth, and Life,
Daughters of St. Paul
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