Catholic Youth Renovation Project 2014

I am very proud of our youth in this diocese, for many reasons. So many of them give of themselves so generously in the service of others. The Catholic Youth Renovation Project is a perfect example of what I mean. For five years now, youth and adult volunteers from the parishes around Mission, Texas, give a week's time to an intense experience of fixing-up homes in the colonias on the western side of Hidalgo County, near St. Anne's Church in a Pueblo de Palmas, and it's missions.

They put new siding on the homes.

They add another room to create more family space in the homes.

They enjoy the experience of working as a community of believers.

And they even persuade their bishop to get on the roof and demonstrate the use of a nail-gun :)

 

This year members of the Hidalgo County Sheriff's department lent a strong helping hand to show support for the community out-reach efforts of the youth.

I was able to spend some time today visiting also some of the families whose lives were being impacted for the good by the CYRP. The youth and their adult mentors get to know the families, the children, and something about the mystery of grace. Because the fact is that we cannot reach out to help someone else without ourselves receiving more in return. This "more" is the joy of a real human encounter, and a real sharing of life.

My favorite photo of the day! A visit with a grandmother and her 5 grandchildren, while a young man continues working on their home in the background. 

I spoke to the youth after visiting some of the sites, and told them they are an example of what it means to be a follower of Jesus and member of his Church: They work together, go outside of themselves together, to extend a helping hand and to offer a smiling face to another; they pray together, go out and serve together in a common love for the ones that Jesus loves. 

And while I was there I got a quick interview or two in with the local media. I always wondered what it looked like from the camera-man's angle!

Many thanks to the young people who work so diligently to make better the lives of others. Thanks also to the adult volunteers, the business sponsors who send food and water, and to the families who share their homes and lives with our young people during this week. And thanks be given most of all to God, who inspires such goodness in the hearts of so many.

No wonder I am the happiest bishop in the country!

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Chrism Mass 2014

Thanks to everyone who made this year's Chrism Mass such an extraordinarily beautiful event. And thanks especially to so many of the faithful who came to the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle to pray with, and for our priests. At the end of the homily I cited a few lines from the Spanish Poet Lope de Vega. I intersperse them here with these pictures. The English translation is my effort.

Oye, pastor, pues por amores mueres,

no te espante el rigor de mis pecados,

pues tan amigo de rendidos eres.

 

 

 

Hear, o pastor, who on loves' account does die,

be not startled at the hardness of my sins,

for such a friend you are to one who cast-down lies.

 

 

Espera, pues, y escucha mis cuidados,

pero ¿cómo te digo que me esperes,

si estás para esperar los pies clavados?

 

 

Wait, please, and by my cares be hailed,

but ¿how can I say wait to you,

if for waiting's sake are your feet thus nailed?

 

 

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Consecration of the Diocese to The Immaculate Mother of God

This Sunday, Christ the King Sunday, I will consecrate the Diocese of Brownsville to the Blessed Virgin Mary at the 12:30 pm Mass at Immaculate Conception Cathedral. This will be a fitting way to close the Year of Faith. I will make this supplication to the Mother of God asking for the favor of her maternal protection over the Church throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Me parece de alta importancia pedir la protección maternal de nuestra Madre Santísima, reconociendo que su hijo, Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, Rey y Redentor de toda la creación, desea compartir con nosotros su gracia por medio del vínculo de amor que enlaza los fieles con la persona de María, Madre de Jesucristo Nuestro Señor, Madre y de todos nosotros, hermanas y hermanos de Jesús. I am asking the priests of the Diocese to offer this prayer in union with me and their brother priests at one or more Masses this Sunday. At the conclusion of the year of faith, we entrust ourselves to the grace of Christ our King, through the special protection of his Immaculate Mother, for it is his will that special grace flow through the bond of love that unites the body of the Church with Mary, who is the Mother of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and God, and Mother of all of us, the sisters and brothers of Jesus. Como expresión de fe y comunión, ya que este domingo marca el término del Año de la Fe, les he pedido a todos los sacerdotes de la Diócesis de Brownsville ofrecer esta oración, por lo menos en la Misa principal de la parroquia o capilla. Aquí agrego el texto de la oración que utilizaremos este domingo de Cristo Rey, para el acto de consagración, en ambos idiomas:

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Consecration of the Diocese

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Holy Mary, conceived without sin, Virgin and Mother of the Word Incarnate, with renewed gratitude for your maternal presence we join our voice to that of all the generations who call you blessed. We celebrate in you the works of God, who never tires of looking with mercy upon us who are wounded and afflicted by sin. Accept with the benevolence of a Mother this act of consecration that we, your children in the Diocese of Brownsville, living in the Rio Grande Valley, offer today with confidence before you (this image of you that is so dear to us).

We are certain that every human life is precious in your eyes. Hold our lives in your immaculate heart; bless and strengthen every desire for good in us; revive and nourish faith; sustain and enlighten hope; awaken and animate charity; guide all of us along the path of holiness. Teach us your own preferential love for the little and the poor, for the excluded and the suffering, for sinners and the downhearted.

We commend to your maternal protection our families, our children --those born and those still in the womb; victims of violence along the border, both in the United States and in Mexico; the undocumented, the elderly and the sick among us. Bring everyone under your protection and entrust us all to the heart of your beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus, who by his death on the Cross and rising from the tomb has redeemed the world.

Amen.

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Santa María, sin pecado concebida, Virgen y Madre del Verbo Encarnado, con gratitud renovada por tu presencia maternal unimos nuestra voz a la de todas las generaciones que te llaman bendita. Celebramos en ti la obra de Dios, quien nunca se cansa de ver con misericordia hacia nosotros, heridos y afligidos por el pecado. Acepta con benevolencia de Madre éste acto de consagración que hoy nosotros, tus hijos en la Diócesis de Brownsville, viviendo en el Valle del Río Grande y Bravo, ofrecemos ante ti (con confianza, ante ésta imagen tuya que es tan querida para nosotros.)

Bien sabemos que cada vida humana es valiosa ante tus ojos. Sostén nuestra vida en tu corazón inmaculado, bendice y fortifica cada deseo de bondad en nosotros; revive y nutre nuestra fe; sostén e ilumina nuestra esperanza;  despierta y alienta  nuestra caridad; guíanos por el camino de la santidad. Enséñanos tu amor preferencial hacia los pequeños y los pobres, los excluidos y los que sufren, los pecadores y los decaídos.

Encomendamos  a tu protección maternal a nuestras familias, nuestros niños --los nacidos y los que se encuentran  en el vientre; a las víctimas de la violencia en la frontera, tanto en los Estados Unidos como en México; los indocumentados, los ancianos y los enfermos entre nosotros. Acoge a todos bajo tu protección y confíanos al corazón de tu amado Hijo, Nuestro Señor Jesús, quien por su muerte en la Cruz y su resurrección de la tumba ha redimido al mundo.

Amén.

 

 

The Year of Faith and the Culture of Life

"I Have Overcome the World"

This month we observe the lamentable anniversary of the legalization of abortion on demand in this country. As we continue to work for the protection of the unborn child against the forces that sustain the culture of death, I am reminded of an important scripture passage in the Gospel according to John (16, 33): “These things I have spoken to you, that indeed, you have peace. In the world you shall have distress. Have confidence, I have overcome the world.” The Lord Jesus desires for us peace, and in the passage he speaks to us of the source of that peace, that is to say his victory. “I have overcome the world,” he says.

This Year of Faith is a call from the Holy Father to reinvigorate what it means to be a believer, what it means to be a man or woman of faith, a young person of faith, to recognize how it sets us apart from the world, to recognize it as a gift. In the context of our renewal of the sense of faith as a gift, it is good to meditate upon the words of the Lord when he says, “I have overcome the world.”  To believe this is a gift of faith. It is not always what we see with our eyes or what we perceive by virtue of news reports or other sources of information. Rather, it is a certain confidence rooted in our faith in the Lord Himself. To quote Hopkins' translation of a poetic line from Saint Thomas Aquinas: "Truth himself speaks truly, or there's nothing true." The bedrock of our activities as a people of love, a people of hope, is ultimately our faith in this victory that Christ Jesus speaks of and which he has already won. It is a victory which manifests itself first of all in his victory on the cross over death. He opens eternal life to us, and in so doing he vindicates the goodness of life itself. In the end, death does not win.

In Christ Jesus risen from the dead, we have definitively revealed before our eyes the victory of life over death. This is the sum of everything we believe as Catholics, as Christians. It is not our victory in the sense that we have brought it about. But it is our victory in the sense that his victory is a victory for us, and it is ours exactly to the extent we are associated by grace to the life of the Risen Christ: He has overcome the world. What we must do is seek the grace to refortify our faith so as to live and to act in accord with his victory. To live by faith means that we build our lives around the sure conviction that life is the gift at the heart of reality, that it is good, and that it triumphs over death. 

The gift of life is not just a biological reality, though, it is also the sense of joy that comes with life; life is something to be embraced, to be extraordinarily grateful for, something that is meant to be shared, and something that comes from God. To be someone who is pro-life, in the large sense, is to be someone who is "pro" the goodness of life, and to give witness to the fact that this great goodness of life must be defended. For, indeed, we live in a world that is grossly fascinated with the power of death.

The world to which we are called to evangelize is a world that is in many ways mesmerized, almost hypnotized, by the power of death. Death has a way of covering the eyes. It is a power that stubbornly continues to express itself in this world. The world needs to know that it is always better to appreciate the gift of life than it is to be mesmerized by the power of death. 

In the trilogy the Hunger Games, the author Suzanne Collins presents a stark world where the mesmerizing power of death is clearly displayed. Death has become a game designed to entertain everybody and control everyone. There are characters in the story who are the innocent victims of the power that makes death into a game and a means of control. The principle victims are children. Bizarre as the set up of these novels is, it is not unthinkable that the world could reach a stage where death is accepted as a spectacle, where the powerful use children as pawns to create a manipulative diversion ultimately aimed at maintaining power and control. I am no literary critic, just a reader, and some of my literary friends find the books painfully discouraging. But I see little glimmers of light in the tail. I am convinced the author is looking to tell the reader that it doesn’t have to be this way; death does not have to win. Despite the unleashing of the full mesmerizing power of death to blind an entire people to the goodness of life, the social order rooted in the teeth of the dragon -- so to speak -- does not triumph in the end. The conclusion does not show us a final victory in favor of life, but it does show the reader that small moments of heroism, rooted in love and in the resiliency of the human conscience can set the stage for a better way.

There is a lesson here for us. We are here to say, ‘it doesn’t have to be this way." We don’t have to sacrifice an unborn child for somebody else to be happy. We don’t have to let utilitarian criterion govern all the decisions we make in nation, our families and in our homes. It takes a heroic, a courageous breaking-through and waking-up, though, to break the spell that death can weave in a world that so easily falls into the attitude that says “well this is how the game works; death is in charge.” But it doesn’t have to be this way. When Blessed Pope John Paul II called us to build a culture of life, he was calling us to give witness to the fact that life triumphs over death and that it is possible to build a civilization where society acts in favor of the goodness of life, from the unborn child to the aging person who is dying of a terminal illness. 

In this Year of Faith, we must strengthen our own sense of the victory of life and the power of Christ to break through the mesmerizing effect, this fascination the world has with the morose. Jesus says, “I have overcome the world.” Like lightning on a cloudy night, the victory that God wins through the passion, death and resurrection of Christ the Lord is the break-through of the power of life into a world darkened by the aggressive power of death. We must be reconfirmed in our faith because we do sometimes get discouraged. That too is part of the power of death, it's power to discourage. It is important to cultivate our faith in the victory of Christ and to invite the the light of the Lord’s life and his victory of life to take greater possession of each one of us. 

This gift of faith we have received is the only hope of the world; it breaks through the culture of death. Out culture desperately needs an infusion of faith in the goodness of life. In this context, we can hear the Lord speak these words, “Take care little flock for I have overcome the world,” for we are often afraid. Sometimes we think we are outnumbered, but numbers never matter with God. What matters is the conviction of his grace working through those who do believe.

That’s exactly why the witness of the pro-life procession scheduled this January 19th, here in the Diocese of Brownsville, and so much that happens throughout the year to promote life, is an expression that comes out of our faith. What we are really doing is planting the victory. The victory is present: “Take care little flock. Do not be afraid.”  Our witness must be sincere and based on our faith in the victory of life. Never underestimate the power of your prayers. Some things can only be dealt with, Jesus said, with much prayer and fasting. Continue your witness of prayer. It is possible for us to push back the tide that seems to think, “Oh well, we cannot win over the forces of death.” But we know better, because the force of life has already won. “Take care little flock. I have overcome the world.” 

Christmas Message to the People of the Rio Grande Valley

My Christmas Message is posted here below. It is a little unconventional, I will admit; but if you hear what it tries to say, it serves its purpose. For the English version, simply scroll down.

Se presenta un mensaje navideño 2012, o mejor dicho, una serie de diálogos intercalados con una narración del Señor Obispo.

Un niño pequeño los guiará

La Navidad 2012 nos llegó a la hora apuntada, interrumpiendo el curso de nuestros planes y actividades. Sí sabíamos que iba llegar, pero aplazamos o ignoramos el pensarlo. Teníamos mucho que hacer; había mucho correr y poco tiempo para perder.

“Sí hijo, quizás mañana vamos a ir a ver las luces navideñas en los exteriores de las casas.”

“No, Mamá, no se me va a olvidar conseguirle un regalo para mi Tía. No  te preocupes, todavía me queda tiempo.”

“Oiga, Mamá, ¿no tiene usted la dirección postal del primo? No voy a tener tiempo para pasar por la casa de la Tía.”

La tele interrumpe su programación ordinaria, y sin querer los reporteros nos muestran imágenes de violencia. Faltan palabras. ¡Qué tragedia! Tan inocentes las criaturas. Vemos lágrimas y familias inconsolables.

“¡Hay, Señor! ¿Qué podemos hacer?”

Espontáneamente, pensamos en los niños. Durante los días que siguen, abrazamos a cada uno con un apretón más consciente y más prolongado. Y quizás sentimos un poco de vergüenza: Esto lo debería de hacer todos los días. La vida es preciosa, y muy vulnerable. Existen cosas que no entendemos.

“Que Dios nos ayude.”

Frenéticos transitamos de una cosa a otra como quienes buscan un tesoro escondido; nos consumen preocupaciones pequeñas,  divisiones y pleitos sin sentido. Se nos va el tiempo. Crecen los hijos.

“¿Cuándo te hiciste tan grande?”

Somos criaturas misteriosas y vulnerables. Fácilmente se nos olvida que el tesoro ya lo poseemos. Si el rayo de luz no nos cae del cielo, nos quedamos en el olvido, y en la oscuridad sin ver lo que realmente tenemos  frente  a nuestros ojos.

Llega el día 25. Nos faltó tiempo. Nos cae brusco.  Ni modo, ya llegó.

“Ven, hijo, vamos a  acercarnos al Nacimiento después de la Misa.”

“Qué bonito.”

“Mamá, hay mucha gente alrededor.”

“Si, hija, pero al rato nos podemos arrimar más.”

“Papá, ¿qué estamos viendo?”

“Es el niño Jesús. Diosito se hizo un chiquillo, hijo, como lo fueron tú y tu hermanita hace poco. El niño tiene frio pero está contento; tiene a su familia alrededor.”

“Y porque quiso Diosito entrar al mundo en tiempo de frio?”

“Pues, no sé hijo, quizás para darle a María y José el gusto de poder acurrucarlo con un cariño caluroso. Y quizás para enardecer con amor divino el hogar de María y José.”

La Navidad es una luz que penetra por las nubes, y llega hasta los rincones más oscuros de la vida para sanarnos del olvido y de la ceguera. El tesoro ya lo tenemos. No estamos solos. Sí hay mucho que hacer, pero no como antes lo habíamos pensado. Tenemos hijos para abrazar y ancianos para besar. Tenemos amigos con quien conllevar y disfrutar, familiares para consolar y con quienes regocijar. La vida es preciosa y vulnerable, un regalo de valor inestimable. Mi hermano me necesita y yo lo necesito en mi vida. Juntos llegamos bien.

“Feliz Navidad, hijo, y muchas gracias por haberme visitado.”

“Igualmente, Tía. Que tenga un día muy feliz.”

“Me le saludas a tu mamá. Que Diosito te guarde.” Un beso; un abrazo un poco más consciente, más prolongado.

A eso viene el Dios grande, el que se hizo pequeño. El amor de Dios es el camino hacia el amor entre los hombres. Nos queda mucho que hacer; el amor está en marcha, pero las tinieblas no se dispersan sin resistir. Ojos de fe ven que la luz que cae del cielo tiene cara de un niño; él es el líder que va por delante de nuestro camino. Como lo había predicho el profeta Isaías: “Un niño pequeño los guiará.”

Felices Pascuas Navideñas a todos. Que el Dios que se hizo hombre les conceda luz para ver y amor para envolver sus hogares durante esta Navidad y durante todos los días de sus vidas.

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And a Child shall Guide Them

Christmas 2012 fell on us at the appointed time, interrupting the course of our plans and activities. We knew that it was coming, but we put it off or decided to ignore it. We had much to do; lots of running around and little time to lose.

“Yes, son, maybe tomorrow we will go to see the Christmas lights on all the houses.”

“No, Mom, I won’t forget to get a Christmas present for my aunt. Don’t worry; I still have time to do it.”

“Mom, do you have the mailing address for my cousin? I don’t think I will have time to go by my aunt’s house.”

The television interrupts its usual programming and without wanting to, the reporters show us images of violence. Words fail us. What a tragedy! They were innocent children. We see tears and inconsolable families.

“Oh, Lord, what can we do?”

Spontaneously, we think of the children. And during the days that follow, we hug each one a little tighter, and for a little longer. And maybe we feel a little guilty: I should do this every day. Life is precious, and vulnerable. And there are many things in life we do not understand.

“May God help us.”

We frantically run from one thing to another, like people looking for a buried treasure; small preoccupations consume us, and so do divisions and arguments that do not make much sense in the long run. Time passes. Our children grow up.

“When did you get so tall?”

We are mysterious and vulnerable creatures. We easily forget that we already possess the treasure. If the ray of light does not fall to us from the heavens, we stay in a state of forgetting and of darkness, unable really to see what we have in front of our eyes.

The 25^th arrives. We ran out of time. It falls on us brusquely. Can’t do much about that, it’s here.

“Come now, son, we are going to go see the Nativity scene after Mass.”

“How pretty it is.”

“Mom, there are lots of people around.”

“That’s right, but in a little while we will be able to get closer.”

“Dad, what are we looking at?”

“It is the child Jesus. God became a little child, son, just like you and your little sister were not too long ago. The child is cold, but he is happy; he has his family around him.”

“And why did God enter the world in the winter when it was cold?”

“Well, I am not sure, son, maybe it was to give to Mary and Joseph the joy of being able to snuggle him close to warm him. And maybe it was so he could warm the home of Mary and Joseph with his divine love.”

Christmas is a light that penetrates through the clouds, and it reaches to the most obscure corners of life to heal us of our forgetfulness and our blindness. We already have the treasure we were looking for. We are not alone. Yes, there is much to do, but not like we had previously thought. We have children to embrace, and old folks to kiss. We have friends with whom to carry our burdens and with whom to enjoy life; and we have family members to console, and with whom to rejoice. Life is precious and it is vulnerable, a gift without price. My brother needs me, and I need him in my life. Together we can make it.

“Merry Christmas, son, and thanks very much for stopping by.

“Same to you, Auntie. May you have a very happy day.”

“Say hello to your mother for me. May God protect you.” A kiss, a more conscious hug, lasting a bit longer.

It was for this that the great God made himself small. The love of God is the pathway toward our love for one another. We do have much to do; love is on the march, but the shadows do not dispel without resistance. Eyes of faith see that the light that falls from heaven has the face of a child; he is the leader that goes before us on our path. As was foretold by the prophet Isaiah: “A little child shall guide them.”

Happy Christmas-tide to everyone. May the Lord God who became man grant you light to see, and love to envelop your homes this Christmas, and every day of your lives.

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Having Fun in the Valley

These are enjoyable days in the Rio Grande Valley. I have a few pictures to offer to give you just a small sense of the scene, from Guadalupe Day to Posadas to Piñatas.

Yes, the Bishop can get stuck in traffic looking for a way to get into the general area of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Brownsville. Here I am watching the procession from the neighboring churches enter into the environs. I eventually made it. "But, officer, I know this is a one-way street, but I just need to get right over there, and besides, the street is blocke off!"

Truly amazing. I walked my way into the outdoor area where the Mass was to be held, and snapped a few shots along the way.

Needless to say, it took me a little while to wend my way to the sacristy.

Los Matachines were in excellent form as the parish groups gathered for the outdoor Mass.

Left view from the Altar.

Center view from the Altar.

Right view from the Altar. I think this group had the most fun!



Now, on to the Posadas! Only in the Valley can you do this in broad day'light, and with Palm Trees, and 80 degree weather. 

Now here is an interesting shot of the San Juan Diocesan Staff Posada,... of them taking a picture of me taking a picture of them, knocking on the door... Sort of makes me confused. 

Someone took a shot of me getting ready to take a shot at the Piñata. Take my word for it, I did some damage. I was in a good disposition, so I did not confiscate the cameras. (Just kidding.)

Had a nice visit to the Alfredo Gonzalez Texas State Veterans Home in McAllan for Mass. My third year of celebrating Mass there in the days right before Christmas. Truly a blessing for me to see the residents and visit with the families.

And of course, what would these days of Guadalupe and Posadas and everything else be without Tamales! Lots and lots of them. Some of the best I have ever tasted! And believe me, I have tasted my share. We used to help make them at home when I was a kid.

La Inmaculada

A beautiful night in the Valley accompanied the traditional procession with the image of Our lady of the Immaculate Conception from Saint Thomas Church in downtown Brownsville to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and provided for a touching expression of the Faith of the Church.

This is one of my favorite nights of the year, as it is a great joy to celebrate La Inmaculada with the PRocession and Mass, followed by a meal with the parishioners. Congratulations to all those who made this such a marvelous expression of love for the Blessed Virgin, and a joyous occasion for all.

All Saints Day, Seminary Visit, and a Book

All Saints Day is one of my favorite days of the year. And it provides us with a chance to reflect on the beauty of holiness, and the call to follow the footsteps of the Lord with a real and efficacious desire. That is sort of what I preached about, anyway. Below is a link to the audio of the sermon I preached this last November 1, at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, on the Solemnity of All Saints.

https://www.box.com/s/a6pwb5uhjbiy1bpi5oai

As I am still experimenting with the audio download world, please pardon if I seem a bit clumsy in the handling of the technology. I hope the link works.

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I had a chance to go up to Columbus, Ohio a couple of weeks ago (time passes so quickly). Our seminarians who are studying at the Pontifical College Josephinum are are doing well, and I was able to take a quick picture of the group. I think I just missed the first snow storm of the year, for which I am grateful.  

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I finally finished a  very fine book called "La isla de la pasión," by Laura Restrepo. It is highly to be recommended. I have always enjoyed history, particularly the history of Mexico, and this book is a lightly novelized version of a historical event that happened around the time of the Mexican Revolution in 1910. A small squad of soldiers, together with their families, were sent by the aging president of Mexico, Don Porfirio Díaz, to defend a small barren island in the Pacific Ocean called Clipperton. While on the island, the tumultuous events of the Revolution occur in Mexico and the small band of defenders is left and largely forgotten. Children are born on the Island, and life takes on a kind of routine. Yet, after hurricane and disease strike, the little band is faced with tragedy and perhaps even hallucinations. There are some moving scenes described by the author, scenes of heroism and of honor.

At one point an American ship reaches the forgotten island, and the captain offers the commanding officer of the island a passage off the island. So much has happened that Arnaud, the commander of the small Mexican force, does not know about: the pending outbreak of World War I, the successive overthrows of governments in Mexico. Informed by the American captain of these events, Arnaud must make a decision, whether to leave his post, or to stay until further orders are recieved from Mexico City. He knows well, of course, that Mexico City for the most part does not even remember that he and his family and his forces are on the island. He makes a decision. The truly heroic figure in the novel is Captain Arnaud's wife, Alicia. Her strength and courage and devotion to her family make the story a profoundly moving excursion.  Read the book to find out what happens!

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Pro-Life Dinner in Harlingen, Texas

I was very happy some days ago to be able to attend a Pro-Life Dinner held at Saint Anthony Church in Harlingen, Texas. It was a joyful event, and I want to thank all those involved in preparing the occasion. It was not really a fund-raiser, but more a chance to enjoy each others's company. Many families from across the Diocese were present.

The occasion gave me an opportunity to make a few remarks at the outset about the issue of Religious Freedom. It also gave me a chance to say a few things about the role of the Church in society, and our obligation to argue tirelessly for the just treatment of all human beings, and most particularly to work in defense of the of unborn children.

I am afraid I am not very good at writing down my remarks in advance. Maybe I will get better about writing things down; in the meantime, technology at least makes it possible for me to offer an audio version of the remarks.You may hear the sounds of children during the audio, which to me is like a kind of music. Click on to the link below if you are interested. If you do, you will realize why the title of this blog is "En pocas palabras" is meant in a purely ironic sense,... since I do not know well how to say things in just a few words.

http://www.cdob.org/communications/audio/587-pro-life-dinner

Catechetical Convocation

Something like 1800 of the faithful gathered for our annual Catechetical Conference this year on September 15 at the McAllen Convention Center. This is one of our largest events during the year, and a testament to the dedication of so many catechists working throughout the Diocese. The occasion gave me an opportunity to say some things about the Year of Faith.

We celebrated the Mass, at which I spoke about how our commitment to the Lord is always also a commitment to his people, which is to say, the Church. After Mass I handed out awards to many of our veteran catechists, and then addressed the Catechists about the importance of what they do, for indeed to believe in the love of God shown us in Christ Jesus is the hope of the world. Our very talented communications folks in the Diocese put together a UTUBE video of the morning's events. You can find it here:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FstMVmc3QPM&noredirect=1

Here, I offer a Spanish version of what I attempted to say, but if you want to read the English version, simply scroll further down.

Renovados en el regalo de fe

El Santo Padre ha pedido un Año de Fe empezando este octubre 11 y continuando hasta noviembre 24 del 2013. Recientemente compartí lo que pensaba sobre el Año de Fe con más de 1, 800 catequistas que asistieron a la Convocatoria Catecúmena el 15 de septiembre.

El trabajo de nuestros catequistas, como maestros de la fe con adultos, jóvenes y niños es de vital importancia para la Iglesia y para el mundo. Lo que ellos hacen cambia vidas. A través del curso del año tendremos distintas actividades, presentadores y Misas en la diócesis, todas enfocadas en los diferentes aspectos del Año de Fe, pero lo que realmente hará fructífero el año será el trabajo diario con el que nuestra fe se renueva y se profundiza.

Durante este Año de Fe, mi esperanza y oración es que se nos conceda la gracia de contemplar más atentamente el rostro de Cristo. De esta forma seremos renovados en el regalo de fe que Él nos da. Exhorto a todos los catequistas, líderes de parroquia y religiosos, diáconos y sacerdotes a buscar esta renovación de fe al enfocarse en los aspectos esenciales de nuestra fe en Jesucristo: la Encarnación, la Crucifixión y la Resurrección de Hijo de Dios.

Primero, el mundo necesita saber que el amor de Dios es concreto. No es solamente una idea. No es sólo un concepto abstracto. El amor de Dios bajó del cielo. Se mostró en carne y sangre.

El mundo tiene una idea vaga y general del amor, pero nosotros hemos visto, como nos dice San Juan en su primera carta, “hemos visto con nuestros propios ojos, hemos tocado con nuestras propias manos, la Palabra de vida.” Entonces, ¿en qué creemos? Lo decimos cada domingo en el Credo, “Por medio del Espíritu Santo se encarno de María la Virgen y se hizo hombre.” La fe nos guía a apreciar que el amor de Dios en Cristo es muy concreto, es muy real. Celebramos esto a través del año, pero en especial en la fiesta de Anunciación, durante el Advenimiento y la Navidad.

¿Qué es más hermoso que dejarle saber a la gente las buenas nuevas de que Dios mismo bajo para estar con nosotros? Esto es exactamente lo que nosotros creemos y lo que enseñamos. Por medio de esta fe nos mantenemos firmes en la esperanza, porque Dios mismo se ha acercado a nosotros. “Si Dios es por nosotros,” como dice San Pablo, “¿Quién contra nosotros?”

Segundo, durante este Año de Fe, me gustaría que mantuviéramos en mente que creemos que Jesucristo, quien es Dios mismo que bajo del cielo, fue llevado a la cruz y ha sufrido la muerte. Una vez más, profesamos esta fe salvadora cada domingo cuando rezamos el credo, lo celebramos durante la celebración de cada Misa, y solemnemente recordamos este misterio de amor cada vez que entramos como Iglesia en los misterios de la Cuaresma y Semana Santa.

Debemos reenfocar los ojos de la Iglesia en la belleza de la cruz como el mayor símbolo de amor. El amor de Dios se ha mostrado fiel aun en el momento extremo de la Cruz. Debemos compartir la belleza de este regalo de todas las formas posibles, con la gente joven, con la gente mayor, con todas las personas. Con la fe en la Cruz, somos renovados en la confianza de que el amor tiene la fuerza de aguantar todas las cosas. El amor de Dios en Jesucristo sobrepasa  todos los obstáculos. El amor se encontró con todos los pecados humanos en la Cruz, todas las mentiras, cobardía  y calumnia, y el pecado fue vencido. El pecado y la muerte perdieron su fuerza cuando Cristo acepto amarnos desde la Cruz. Contemplamos la Cruz y somos movidos por el amor en respuesta.

Tercero, creemos en la Resurrección de Jesucristo de la muerte. El pecado y la muerte pueden crucificar la carne de la Palabra Encarnada, pero no pueden mantenerlo en la tumba. Él ha resucitado. Creemos esto con todo nuestro corazón, mente y alma. ¿Por qué es tan importante compartir esto? Seamos francos: vivimos en un mundo en donde es posible algunas veces dudar seriamente que al final la verdad, la bondad, la vida y el amor ganan sobre los poderes que se oponen. Entramos al internet, o prendemos la televisión y vemos todo tipo de malas noticias. Violencia, muerte y codicia desenfrenada en cada esquina. Nosotros y nuestros vecinos, podemos desanimarnos, y tal vez hasta angustiarnos sobre el poder de la bondad.

Es por esto que profundizar nuestra fe y compartir la fe es tan vital hoy en día. Nosotros,  nuestros vecinos y todo el mundo necesita ser renovado en la esperanza de que sí es importante ser bueno, y sí importa el perseverar en amor, a pesar de los obstáculos. En Jesucristo, nosotros sabemos que el amor gana. Sólo si creemos en la Resurrección de Jesús de la muerte, nos es posible encontrar la fuerza y el valor que necesitamos para vivir esta vida con confianza en que el poder de la bondad, la verdad y el amor triunfan sobre el pecado y la muerte.

El mundo necesita escuchar lo que nosotros sostenemos con fe, para que el valor de vivir con esperanza se pueda renovar. Sin esperanza, nos damos por vencidos y cedemos a lo que nos aflige. Y lo que más nos aflige hoy en el mundo es la falta de confianza en la bondad de la vida.

Nuestra gente joven necesita saber que está bien tener esperanza en algo mejor. Que no tiene que ser todo mentiras, poder, control y dinero. Hay cosas más importantes en la vida. Si no promovemos y avanzamos el culto de amor hacia el Dios viviente, y la veneración del triunfo del amor sobre la muerte, la única alternativa que se presenta al mundo es el crecimiento del culto de la muerte. Tristemente, sabemos que es verdad lo que digo.

Lo que nuestros catequistas hacen es muy importante porque sin el conocimiento de la fe que ellos comparten, la esperanza falla y el amor se vuelve frio. Su trabajo revitaliza nuestro sentimiento de haber sido amados por Dios en Jesucristo. Esto hace posible que nosotros lo amemos a él y los unos a los otros en cambio. Y en esto depende nuestra vida y la vida del mundo.

El próximo mes, compartiré con ustedes algunos pensamientos sobre cómo podemos ser renovados durante el Año de Fe en nuestra celebración de estos misterios del amor de Dios.  

And here follows the English version:
Renewed in the Gift of Faith:

The Holy Father has asked for a Year of Faith beginning this October 11 and continuing through November 24, 2013. Recently I shared some of my thoughts about the Year of Faith with more than 1,800 catechists who attended the Catechetical Convocation on Sept. 15.

The work of our catechists, as teachers of the faith with adults, young adults and children is vitally important for the Church and for the world. What they do changes lives. Over the course of the year we will host different activities, speakers and Masses in the diocese, all focused on different aspects of the Year of Faith, but what will really make the year effective will be the day-to-day work by which our faith, as a people is renewed.  

During this Year of Faith, my hope and prayer is that we will be given the grace to gaze more intently upon the face of Christ. In this way we will be renewed in the gift of faith which He gives to us. I urge all catechists, parish leaders and religious, deacons and priests to seek this renewal of faith by focusing upon the essential aspects of our faith in Christ Jesus: the Incarnation, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection of the Son of God.

First, the world needs to know that the love of God is concrete. It’s not just an idea. It’s not just an abstract concept. El amor de Dios bajó del cielo. The love of God came down from heaven. He showed himself in flesh and blood.

The world has a vague, general idea of love, but we have seen, as St. John tells us in his first letter, “we have seen with our own eyes, we have touched with our own hands, the Word of life.” So what do we believe? We say it every Sunday in the Creed, “by the Holy Spirit he was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” Faith leads us to appreciate that the love of God in Christ is very concrete, it is very real. We celebrate this throughout the year, but especially at the Feast of the Annunciation, during Advent and at Christmas time.

What is more beautiful than letting people know the Good News that God himself came down to be with us?  This is exactly what we believe and what we teach. Because of this faith we never lose hope, because God himself has drawn so very near to us. “If God is for us,” as St. Paul says, “who can be against us?”

Secondly, during this Year of Faith, I would like for us to keep in mind that we believe that Jesus Christ, who is God himself come down from heaven, has himself taken the cross, and has suffered death. Again, we profess this saving faith every Sunday when we pray the Creed, we celebrate it every Mass, and we solemnly recall this mystery of love every time we enter into Lent and Holy Week.

We must refocus the eyes of the Church on the beauty of the cross as the highest sign of love. The love of God has shown itself faithful even to the extreme moment of the Cross. We must share the beauty of this gift in whatever ways we can, with young people, with older people, with all people. By faith in the Cross, we are renewed in the hope that love has strength to bear all things. The love of God in Christ Jesus overcomes all obstacles; Love met all human sin on the Cross, all lies, all cowardice and calumny, and the sin gave way. Sin and death lost their force when Christ accepted to love us from the Cross. We contemplate the Cross and we are moved to love in return.

Thirdly, we believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  Sin and death can crucify the flesh of the Word Incarnate, but they cannot hold him in the tomb. He is risen. We believe this with all our heart, mind and soul. Why is it so important to share this? Let us be frank:  We live in a world where it is possible sometimes seriously to doubt that in the end truth, goodness, life and love win over the powers that oppose them. We click on to the Internet, or turn on the television, and see all sorts bad news. Violence, lies, and unbridled greed at every turn. We, and our neighbors, often can get discouraged, and perhaps even despair over the power of goodness.

This is why deepening our faith and sharing the faith is so vital today. We, our neighbors, and the whole world need to be renewed in the hope that it matters to be good, and that it matters to persevere in love, despite all obstacles.  In Christ Jesus, we know that love wins. Only if we believe in the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead is it possible for us to have the strength and courage we need to live this life with confidence in the power of goodness, truth and love to triumph over sin and death.

The world needs to hear what we hold in faith, so that courage might be renewed to live in hope. Without hope, we give up and give in to what afflicts us. And what most afflicts us in the world today is a loss of confidence in the goodness of life.

Our young people need to know that it’s ok to hope in something better. That it doesn't have to be all about lies, power, control and money. There are more important things in life.

If we do not promote and advance the cult of the living God and vernerate the triumph of his love over sin and death, the only final alternative left for the world is the cult to deathel culto de la muerte. Sadly we know this to be true. What our catechists do is so very important because without the knowledge of the faith that they share, hope fails, and love turns cold. Their work revitalizes our sense of having been loved by God in Christ Jesus. This makes it possible for us to love him and one another in return. And upon this depends our life and the life of the world.

Next month, I will share with you a few thoughts about how we can be renewed during the year of Faith in our celebration of these mysteries of God’s love.