As we enter this season of Thanksgiving, I am reminded of what Blessed Solanus Casey, an American priest of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, encouraged us to do: “Thank God ahead of time.” Trusting that God has our good at the center of all that he does or permits enables us to let go and let God take care of every situation and with thanksgiving, take all our petitions to him. 

October is Respect Life Month. During this month, let us contemplate how precious life is—a gift from God that needs to be respected, protected, and valued from conception to natural death. Life is always sacred; however, a child’s life is especially sacred because of the child’s defenselessness. We see the status that Jesus gives children clearly in the Gospels.

In seeing what is happening all around us, we may wonder where God is. There have been moments throughout history that make that question even more present. In 1956, Pope Pius XXII invoked the name of God crying out: “God, God, God! as he witnessed the invasion of Hungary. That cry for God then mobilized many Catholics to commit themselves to live the Gospel wherever they were, thus offering God the possibility to “return” into society. To strive to live like the first Christians, witnessing the living presence of God.

“Y encontré deleite en la raza humana”. Leemos estas palabras de Dios en el Libro de Proverbios el domingo de la Santísima Trinidad. Qué profunda realidad es escuchar que Dios se deleita en nosotros. Tomemos un momento para reflexionar sobre esto: podemos ser el deleite de Dios.

“And I found delight in the human race.” We read these words of God in the Book of Proverbs on Trinity Sunday. What a profound reality to hear that God finds delight in us. Let’s take a moment to ponder this: we can be the delight of God.

June 20, 2019, marks the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as the Feast of Corpus Christi, which translates from Latin to “Body of Christ.” This feast celebrates the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, a central mystery of the Catholic Faith. 

The month of May is dedicated to our Blessed Mother.  When we look at her life, we see that Mary is the model of every “yes.” She didn’t know what was before her, but she trusted in God. Mary was already dedicated to the Lord, she was a servant of God in her personal life, but, in a pivotal moment in human history, God called her to trust him completely in becoming the Mother of Christ.

At the beginning of the Lenten season, I invited myself and all of us in the Diocese of Corpus Christi to embark on a journey that has the potential to transform us and bring us closer to God.  I spoke of bringing to prayer the people who hurt us, those who might not be our friends and pray for them by name. I have experienced in my life that true conversation has its roots in prayer. 

March 19 is the Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of Mary. It is an annual celebration as inconspicuous as the saint himself is. Recently, however, the name of “Joseph,” husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, has been included in all of the Eucharistic Prayers of the Mass as a recognition of his place in the life of the Incarnate Word and Mary.

Now that the excitement of the Christmas season and the glow of the New Year’s celebration has subsided a bit, we find ourselves feeling that life has picked up a rhythm that might be described best by looking at the liturgical calendar: “Ordinary Time.” This might not seem glamorous on its face, but the routine of daily life is a perfect place to find a closer union with Christ.

Every year, Christians across the world gather in prayer during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The week takes place Jan. 18-25. The theme selected by the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches (which includes the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity) is: “Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue” (cf. Deuteronomy 16:20).

I would like to wish a very blessed and holy Advent and Christmas season to all of you reading this and to your families. I am particularly struck this year by the words from I Thessalonians in the second reading from the first Sunday of Advent: “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.” For many, Christmas is traditionally a time spent with family and friends, and these words might pass our ears without really penetrating our hearts. The truth is that many don’t experience good family relationships, and even more have experienced broken relationships and hurt during the past year. 

We are people of faith. The Holy Spirit is guiding us and we must listen to His inspirations and cooperate with His directions. This conviction motivated me to embark on a journey of discernment together with the “many voices” present in the diocese to form a Pastoral Plan for the diocese. 

A disrespect for human life is at the heart of our social and cultural problems today. Our own Church is not immune. The recent scandals painfully remind us of how the continuing abuses by Church personnel have denigrated the human dignity of those entrusted to her maternal care. 

Last month I wrote an article about my own mother in honor of Mother’s Day. It is only fair that I offer some reflections about my father in honor of Father’s Day. I return to the wall in my room with the family pictures on it. There is a photo of my father with his brother sharing a tricycle. What is interesting about the frame that houses it is that there are two pictures, one of my father and his brother and one of my older brother and me. By coincidence more than 20 years later, my brother and I are also sharing a “vehicle”, but it was my walking stroller. And there is no doubt that all four of us are related!

The month of May directs our attention to our mothers, our natural mothers and to Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church. This article gives me the opportunity to reflect on my own mother and the gift that mothers are to their children.

There is a thought in many sectors today that places an unhealthy emphasis on change. This mentality, more often than not, urges us to chase after the latest fads—whether it be in clothes, electronic or media gadgets, but also in ideology, political correctness or way of life. The allure is to be “with it” and “up with the times.” Everything seems to be about a supposed progress or moving forward as if the more “new” something is, the better it is and the better we are. The ironic thing is that this mentality itself is nothing new. Today’s fads quickly become tomorrow’s out-of-date trends, and we are on to pursue something new.

During the past few weeks, it is clear that our country is grappling with many complex moral and political issues that unfortunately at times reveal bitter disagreements among a wide range of viewpoints and opinions. Among these has been the difficult issue of immigration and refugees, particularly in light of the recent Executive Orders of President Donald Trump.

On Dec. 16, Msgr. Louis F. Kihneman III was named Bishop-designate of the Diocese of Biloxi in Mississippi. Bishop Kihneman has served our diocese for 40-years as a priest and for the last six and one half years as Vicar General. In addition, for the past three years he has also served as pastor of St. Philip the Apostle parish in Corpus Christi.

I want to wish a very blessed Advent and happy and holy Christmas to all of you. Over the past few years, and certainly over the past few months, we have witnessed a political, social phenomenon that has caused an unparalleled division among us as Americans—within families, communities, schools and yes even within the Church. At the end of Election Day last month I asked myself what effect this has had among children and young people in our country; what are they thinking? How will the behavior exhibited by adults affect them in the future as leaders in our communities?