It is easy to fixate on how these thoughts make us feel, but I encourage you to ask yourself, “What did I learn last year, and how can I learn more?” As Catholic Christians, we should be inspired to pursue the knowledge of our heavenly Father with the zeal and innocence of a child.

I would like you to consider that all knowledge and learning comes from God. He is the only omniscient being able to understand the great tapestry of our life, while we can see only a web of knots. But this should not concern us, because he taught us how to interpret and persist through the ups and downs of our everyday lives. Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (11:29). 

It is easier to retain what we have read and heard in the Gospel by repeating it. As the ancient Roman adage goes, “Repetition is the mother of learning.” God intended his word and his message to be shared by those who believe.

As a Church, the body of Christ, we will continue to use the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and the love of Christ to foster and preserve the dignity of all human persons — from the womb to the tomb — without distinction of race, creed, status or place of birth. Each is created in the image of God, therefore he or she is a child of God. For us Christians, our neighbor is a brother or sister to love.

As we embark on our year of evangelization — Proclaim the Faith — with Via Fidelis, I encourage you to stay committed to learning about God, for we can only truly love him and our brothers and sisters through prayer and peaceful dialogue. Remember, we have one life to live.

Let us commit ourselves to bearing our gifts to the Child of God as we commemorate the journey of the wise men at the Epiphany and beyond.

May God bless you and your families abundantly in 2025.

In Christ’s love, 

Most Rev. Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS

Bishop of Charleston