I love making New Year resolutions - for other people, of course. I could run a good consultancy in it. It continues to amaze me that I can see faults in you that you are blind to. Denial is rampant all around me - except, naturally, in myself.

Tomorrow night don't bother with charades. Try a new game - making New Year resolutions for your party-goers and then share them with them. Why not? One condition. You are part of the game. You have to receive as well as give. Some further advice, alert the local police before you begin. Being a murder victim is not a good start to the New Year.

Christian teaching advises that we note the plank in our own eye before we point our the beam in our neighbour's eye. I told my optician recently that I really was very good at distance plank but a bit hazy on close beams. He said it was a common condition but he couldn't help. As I left, I heard him muttering something like physician, heal thyself.

My New Year resolution is to reclaim the old, wise Christian tradition of a nightly look at my own conscience, reviewing the day just gone for a couple of minutes. Looking at my planks and ignoring your beams. Wish me luck, better still, try it. Treat yourself to a New Year present, a rather penetrating mirror. Happy New Year and better vision in 2001.

Fr Michael Finnegan, Our Lady's RC Church, Washington.