I pray that those whose Christian lives have been only a trickle in the stream of God's kingdom will flow greatly in the new year, and that those who are all but completely dried up will begin to flow again. When people die, attempts are often made to preserve their bodies through embalming or even mummification. Only God can prepare us for eternity. In Baptism we are anointed for resurrection. God's gift of faith and new life makes eternal life possible.
Death can come so quickly and so unexpectedly.
We must tell the Good News about Jesus to every person in every part of the world. One of the big problems with New Year's resolutions is that we are on our own to keep them. If we are going to tap into God's resources for our Christian lives in 2000, it can't be done on our own. The trickle of our good intentions will dry up without the pouring in of the Spirit. As a parish pastor I used to regularly say that the best way to grow this year is to go this Sunday.