Chesterton on the New Year

“The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective. Unless a man starts on the strange assumption that he has never existed before, it is quite certain that he will never exist afterwards. Unless a man be born again, he shall by no means enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.”—G.K. Chesterton, The G.K. Chesterton Calendar: A Quotation From the Works of G. K. Chesterton for Every Day in the Year (1921)

Today, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. I have heard that there are Catholics who make not only New Year’s resolutions on this day, which G.K. Chesterton heartily recommends, but who also renew their personal consecration to Jesus through Mary.

We send Happy New Year greetings to all of you!

May you have a beautiful day with family and friends.

~SCF

~Image: G.K. Chesterton at the age of seventeen, source.