LETTER FROM THE BISHOP A Time for New Beginnings

My sisters and brothers,

During the season of Lent, we were reminded that prayer, fasting and almsgiving sustain us spiritually as we look forward to celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. In this season of Easter, we move from darkness to light, from hopelessness to redemption, from the pain of the crucifixion to the glory of the resurrection. We see how Jesus’ dying and rising not only shows his tremendous love for us but is rife with a spirit of a new beginning. In fact, we may be surprised when we take the time to realize how many new beginnings are happening all around us. Yet, if we take time to reflect, we can see how that eagerness to begin again buoys and infuses our faith.

Making a fresh start may often be the result of a desire to reassess and rebuild. Whether it is a relationship, an organization, or a physical structure, realistically looking at the situations we face from an honest perspective can lead us to a clearer view of what is essential, what needs to be changed or improved and what can be excluded or omitted. The process itself often requires us to invest a significant amount of time. This investment, if offered earnestly, can bring us to a fresh revelatory perspective that enables us to sustain the energy and the focus to make a meaningful new beginning.

While a new start can be exciting and often much-needed, it can easily make us nervous or anxious about the uncertainty that something new can bring. It is moments like this in which we must remember to embrace uncertainty and ask God for his guidance and peace. Feeling unsure about something unknown is quite normal. During those moments, we must pray for a steadfast spirit that will move us past our feelings of insecurity into a new experience that can enhance our lives and enrich our spirit in pleasantly unexpected ways.

Some of these fresh starts and new chapters are presented in this issue. You’ll hear about the new beginnings that are being cultivated by the diaconate program in the Diocese of Corpus Christi, how meticulous time and effort are being utilized in the repair of several diocesan properties and buildings, and how the gift of motherhood sets the stage for a lifetime of life-giving new beginnings.

New beginnings are born of forgiveness. The old or unnecessary is put aside in favor of renewal, connection, conversion, and recommitment. Knowing that Jesus is always ready to forgive our sins and offer us peace, we are invited to grow in a deeper relationship with him, renewed by our acknowledgment of our sins and his forgiveness and absolution. New beginnings have the power to change our perspective. They call us to be mindful of how our thoughts and actions affect us and those around us. And with hope in our hearts, we pray that with each new start, we grow closer to God, whose love for us always leads us to the truest and best version of ourselves.