New Beginnings and Opportunities to Grow

By Bishop Paul S. Loverde
Special to the Herald
(From the issue of 9/22/05)

It seems that everywhere I look these past few weeks, I see new beginnings. From the series of opening school Masses I have celebrated at our high schools to the dedications (Our Lady of Good Counsel additions, Catholic Charities Office in Sterling), anniversaries (100^th Anniversary of St. James School), and other events, we find opportunities before us to set out "into the deep" anew.

Many of our Gospel readings at this time of the year point to this. "Follow me" (Mt. 9:9) Jesus essentially says over and over again during readings which focus on the calling of the disciples. Will we listen to this call—this invitation to a life beyond our present imagining—and allow it to penetrate every aspect of our lives?

As we begin the fall and the new school year together, let us look at three ways in which we might make this new beginning one that truly brings us closer to our Lord.

First of all, let us recommit to a life centered on and rooted in prayer. Do we begin our days, meals, and the many tasks throughout the day, with prayer? If we anchor our new beginnings in prayer, we will become aware of the Lord’s presence in our life in new and unforeseen ways.

While our children return to school, we who now find ourselves out of school might consider making a new beginning in our Catholic catechesis. All too often, we must admit, the vitality of our faith wanes as a result of our busyness and lack of curiosity. For too many, education in the faith ends with high school or college, when in fact, we should all—throughout our lives—hear St. Paul’s exhortation to "be renewed in the spirit of your minds" (Eph. 4:23). Our children and our youth will notice this curiosity, this growth in the faith, and be inspired by it.

Finally, are we sharing the joy of our faith? Pope Benedict XVI recently said, "I want to make clear that it [the Christian life] is not a burden ... but it is like having wings" (Aug. 14, 2005). Joy is contagious; are our friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and peers seeing the joy that is within us? Each of us can make a modest beginning by reaching out in small ways, with love, to those around us.

If we are committed to prayer, growth in our faith through a ever-deepening catechesis, and reaching out to share the joy that is within us, I am convinced that any new beginning we set ourselves to this fall will bear much fruit.

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