I was asked to pen the opening of this latest edition of Catholic Life, and I was given a list of potential topics to share, including the themes of new beginnings, Advent, and what comes after death. They are broad in the landscape of topics, but they do have a common thread in my coming as your bishop, in the new liturgical season beginning with the first Sunday of Advent and the greatest new beginning in what comes after our natural death. Jesus tells us that “eye has not seen nor ear heard nor has it entered into the heart of what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor 2:9) We shouldn’t easily pass over such profound promises. Consider this: You and I cannot, even in our wildest imagination, comprehend the delights that flow from friendship with Jesus Christ. We can speculate about the nature of the friendship with Christ, but we must know that the reality is an infinite reality that our finite minds cannot grasp.
My being appointed as the bishop of La Crosse was a surprise to all of us. We all speculated about aspects of my arrival, myself included. I’m sure many were wondering what kind of bishop I would be, and I had the same thoughts. Some may have been curious to know if the new bishop was happy to shepherd the diocese. While my own thoughts were similar in many cases, I was certain of my delight in coming to La Crosse. However, I was also curious about the character of the diocese and the nature of the priests and the people.
There’s nothing wrong with speculating, but often the reality is quite different from what our fear leads us to imagine. New beginnings bring new opportunities and the chance to start fresh, casting out the old ways that no longer serve us and embracing new ways that are consonant with God’s plans for each and all of us. We cannot comprehend what God has prepared for those who love him. God is love, and Jesus is love incarnate, who shows us love’s face. Being a disciple of Jesus means responding to His offer of love, following His teachings and keeping His commandments as a sign of our love for Him. (Jn 14:15)
For you and for me, new beginnings entail a fresh look at how we, as disciples of Jesus, are responding to His offer of love and how we are keeping His commandments. Advent, in a liturgical sense, is a time of collective and individual preparation set against a penitential backdrop. It’s a period where we collectively examine the salvation history of the world and individually reflect on our own lives.
The saints, most especially the Blessed Mother, are our best guides for preparing for Jesus’ first coming and anticipating his second. Mary pondered the words of an angel and the unfolding of Jesus’ life, so we must also be prepared and faithfully keep Jesus’ commandments.
Why not ask a saint or your guardian angel to accompany you in this time of new beginnings? They can illuminate the path God desires for you to walk, keeping His commandments and help you respond to Jesus’ offer of love.
May you be filled with his eucharistic peace.
Story by Most Reverend Gerard W. Battersby, Bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse
Published in the November/December 2024 issue of Catholic Life Magazine