All of this helps but unless we commit ourselves to being people of Advent, Christmas becomes just another holiday

November reminds us of who we are as the beloved children of God and why we are the beloved children of God.

October is dedicated as the month of the Holy Rosary and Respect Life Month.

I urge you to consider our Catholic schools for your children if you have not yet done so.

I hope your summer has been good and peaceful and enjoy the rest of it.

We examine our own relationship with Jesus and allow Him to cleanse and expand our hearts to better know, love and serve Him.

We are reminded to enjoy our families and strengthen those bonds which increase and deepen that familial love for one another and for the Lord.

Have a most Blessed Easter and a holy Easter season.

We must allow God’s grace to transform us into even better and more faithful disciples, willing, ready and able to live a life worthy of our baptism.

This month is of great importance spiritually, liturgically and educationally for our faith.

We choose to live a life which is an imitation of Jesus and not a life enslaved to the world.

The Incarnation of God as a man happened entirely for our sake and each year, we remember this supreme act of mercy in the season of Advent.

It is also the month which ends our current year with the Solemnity of Christ the King and begins our new year of grace and favor from the Lord with the First Sunday of Advent.

Commit to say the Holy Rosary every day in the month of October. No one is so busy or so important that he or she cannot take 20 minutes from every day to pray the Rosary.

May none of us miss these wonderful opportunities to strengthen our faith by reading the lives of the saints and by attending and participating at Holy Mass on these feasts.

This is my first opportunity to give you the correct information about what we bishops decided to do at our spring meeting this last June.

Let us look to the blessings the Lord God is and will give to us during this month.

Whether you are participating directly in the celebrations of these sacraments or not, please do pray for all who receive them and pray for yourselves as well.

We have a hope that only the Risen Savior can reveal to us and to the world.

By celebrating two great Lenten feasts, may our resolve to be holy be strengthened. May we be faithful to Him.