After months of preparation, we are beginning to see the fruits of parish and regional listening sessions in the diocesan phase of the Synod.

Marriage is the union that manifests God’s love and the gift of life to the world.

For several weeks now, parishes throughout the Diocese have been inviting the People of God to share their faith journey through the Synodal Process.

This week, I celebrated the 20th anniversary of my episcopal ordination. It was on Jan. 23, 2002, that I was ordained as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and on March 8, 2010, I was installed as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Austin. 

Rooted in biblical teachings, social justice has and remains central to our Catholic faith.

May this celebration of Advent and Christmas encourage each one of us to join the Holy Family in accompanying one another in wisdom and holiness.

January 1 also marks the World Day of Peace, further amplifying Our Lady’s role in helping us create a world filled with peace and hope and a world in which we are called to grow in our commitment as stewards of God’s gifts, the greatest being the human person.

We reflect how our Lord moves among us in our lived experiences as we reflect during these last few days of Advent.

As we prepare our hearts for the celebration of Christmas, we also consider Christ’s second coming at the end of time.

This graced time of quiet contemplation is also a busy time of celebrating God’s providence in our lives, especially with the Blessed Virgin Mary.

As citizens of Christ’s kingdom, we are called to take our rightful place in his creation and see all things through the lens of the Gospel.

While we come from different cultures and backgrounds, sometimes with different languages and customs, we find our truest identity as being created in the image and likeness of God. As Catholics, this oneness finds its most profound meaning in the reception of Holy Communion.

As we return to enjoying time with family and friends, the celebrations of All Saints and All Souls Days this week were even more poignant and meaningful for so many. In celebrating these feast days in remembrance of those who have gone before us, many painfully felt the feelings of emptiness and loss. 

Walking with, listening to others as the synodal process gets underway

We must remember that Living the Gospel of Life does not begin and end in October, we are called to live that commitment every day. Each day, we have the opportunity to extend our hearts and our hands to help our neighbors.