Through the waters of baptism, we are reborn, and through the action of the Holy Spirit, God reaches each one of us in a unique way. God's spirit transforms us into the people God calls us to be when we open ourselves to his leading.

We accept the ongoing dynamic of dying and rising as the fundamental law of our existence in the journey. We do this ritually and symbolically, but we also do this literally in and through the continual choices and struggles that present themselves to us, personally and as a household of faith.

So this walk is a pilgrim's walk: One begun with faith in a loving God who will patiently wait for each of us to respond to his call because we are his beloved. We thank God for the gift of this precious pilgrimage, and in this season of Advent which surrounds us, we are reminded to be vigilant and ready to see and receive Christ anew. We are called to find Christ in each new situation that arises and each new face we meet along the way on our pilgrim's walk.

May this Advent and Christmas Season fill us with a renewed sense of God's love for us as we continue the journey.