A New Year's resolution with eternal benefits

How are your New Year’s resolutions working out? Are those resolutions addressing true needs in our life? 
Of course diet and exercise will help us be a better steward. Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Good health enables us to use our gifts and talents to serve the Lord. Well that takes care of stewardship of talent, but what about time and treasure? 
There is no better time than a fresh new year to examine our prayer life and charitable generosity. Developing a deeper relationship with God and answering His call to be a good steward with the gifts He so graciously gave us is a resolution with eternal benefits.
Technology makes it easy to spend this freed-up time for God. Check out your Catholic apps and tools like Laudate, Hallow, iPieta and Archangel Radio. There is even a podcast where Fr. Mike Schmitz will read the Bible to you in just 20 minutes every day for a year, plus also share his reflection. This is perfect for my morning commute. Taking time out of each day to pause and listen to God’s voice, to seek His guidance and thank Him are the first steps to a deeper relationship with Christ. 
How long has it been since we increased our weekly contribution to our parish or Catholic Charities? The pandemic has put a strain on everyone, especially our parishes. As good stewards we should increase our contributions to be sacrificial and proportionate to our income. 
With God’s grace we can accomplish all our New Year’s resolutions and with resolutions to be good stewards we will be graced with a deeper relationship with God.
“When you give, give generously and not with a stingy heart; for that, the LORD, your God, will bless you in all your works and undertakings.” — Deuteronomy 15:10
­­ — Shannon Roh is the Executive Director of the Office of Development and Stewardship for the Archdiocese of Mobile.