Bishop's Message on Christmas and Synodality

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Believe it or not, Christmas is upon us once again, and a new year will soon dawn. The child in the manger, who is God and man, remains our light and our hope. The Gospel of John reminds us that God loves each one of us so much that He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in Him might have eternal life (Jn 3:16). Though the birth of Jesus was a historical event, the abiding presence of Emmanuel, God with us, continues until the end of the Age (Mt 28:20). He is with us today and will always be among us. He is our Way, our Truth, and our Life.

This year the celebration of Christmas has highlighted a re-introduction to the ancient way of synodality. The Holy Spirit is calling the Church to be renewed (in a sense be reborn) with the spirit of synodality that characterized and sustained our earliest forebears in the faith. Journeying together and not alone points to the image of God. The synodal way is a witness to Jesus’s mission, beginning with his birth in Bethlehem of Judea. Jesus entered the world in a family (not alone) – together with Mary and Joseph.  

A synodal Church is faithful in embracing the Word made Flesh, a people who are in step with the Gospel of Jesus. We want to be people who together not only listen to and proclaim the Word of God but who share with one another and others what the Holy Spirit plants in our hearts and in the hearts of others. 

During his recent visit to the Diocese of Corpus Christi, His Excellency Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, spoke on the beauty and challenges of synodality. He stated, “The New Testament, especially the Annunciation (Lk 1:26-38), recounts the Incarnation as a Trinitarian action –a journeying together: The Father sends the Spirit to overshadow the Virgin so that the Eternal Word of the Father might become incarnate. In the Trinity, there is communion and reciprocity among the persons and an outpouring of love toward humanity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit journey together in harmony toward all of humanity.”

In my October 24 letter, which helped usher in the diocesan phase of the Synod on Synodality, I wrote that Bartimaeus, who in the Gospel of Mark continued to call out to Jesus, “Son of David, have pity on me” and despite the disapproval of others, Jesus took time to listen to Bartimaeus, without judgment – giving him his full attention. Synodality is an invitation to walk together and to journey united in Jesus as His disciples did at the beginning of the Church. We are called to seek out the lost, to listen to those who have turned away from the Church. Those on the periphery of society should be heard as well as people who question their relationship with God and the Church. 

It is time for us to cease commenting about what is wrong with the Church and to participate in “washing the feet” of our brothers and sisters. A modern method of “washing feet” is to walk alongside others and accompany them in their need.  

In a world marked by disharmony and the confusion of a plethora of voices competing for our attention, our ability to listen, discern and understand the Holy Spirit and the will of the Father is weakened. For that reason, the gift of synodality is needed and welcomed. 

Archbishop Pierre explained, “Listening affirms each person’s dignity and expresses respect for the voices, legitimate desires, problems and sufferings of the people of God. The process of listening begins with the people of God, who in virtue of their baptism, share in the prophetic office of Christ.”

As a diocesan family we will have opportunities in the coming months to come together and share moments of faith through listening to one another. Learning to listen will bring renewal to families, parishes, school communities, and within neighborhoods. 

Sisters and brothers, I invite all of us to do what God himself did through his Incarnate Son, to listen and be in tune with the will of the Father, to participate with others in fulfilling God’s plan, to discern our common mission and to fulfill our mission to evangelize with love and compassion for all we meet. 

May this beautiful Christmas season serve as a reminder of God’s synodality – His journeying with us. Together may we become imitators of Christ, walking with our neighbors in their struggles and in their joys. 

May the joy and peace of Christmas remain with us throughout the year, allowing the Holy Spirit to enliven our encounters and help us find the path toward synodality. May Mary, Mother of the Church and Seat of Wisdom, be our companion on this synodal journey.