I recently learned a new word: Maycember.
It’s not in the official dictionaries yet, but it has come into wider use in recent years because May can feel as busy as December. There are graduations, weddings, First Communions, Confirmations, college decisions, summer plans, first jobs, and so many important life moments.
Amid all this activity, I am reminded that life is full of transitions.
Some are expected, and some surprise us. Some bring excitement and anticipation, while others bring uncertainty and even trepidation. All of them are opportunities for us to invite God into the process and discover where God may be leading us next.
Transitions are all around us. I see them with family, friends, and parishioners. I see them at St. John’s College High School in Washington, where I am chaplain. I see them right here in our own Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.
One of the biggest transitions happened a little over a year ago when Cardinal Robert W. McElroy became our new archbishop. That transition has gone very well. He has accomplished much in just 15 months and has garnered strong support from his priests and the people of the archdiocese. He has also been a leader in our country, speaking beautifully about immigration and the Catholic Church’s teaching on just war.
Cardinal Christophe Pierre has been in our archdiocese for the last 10 years as apostolic nuncio to the United States – the Vatican’s ambassador. He recently left after doing a magnificent job as nuncio and will divide his time between his home country of France and Rome.
Bishop Roy Campbell retired this month after many years of faithful service to our archdiocese, including the last nine years as an auxiliary bishop.
Another Washington priest and a good friend of mine, Bishop Mark Brennan, is retiring after leading the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, for almost seven years. He will be replaced by another one of our great priests, Bishop Evelio Menjivar, who moves on after three years as an auxiliary bishop for us.
Bishop Menjivar and Bishop Campbell will be succeeded by two of our own priests. Bishop-elect Gary Studniewski is pastor at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament Parish in Washington, and Bishop-elect Robert Boxie III is the Catholic chaplain at Howard University. Both are superb priests. Their lives will be changed in ways they probably can’t imagine as they transition into greater leadership roles.
That’s a lot of clergy changes, and more will come as new priests begin their ministries while some current priests move to new assignments. But I know there are even more transitions happening in your families and neighborhoods.
At this time of year, I think especially of young people graduating from grade school, high school, college, and advanced programs of study. Each involves stepping into a new environment.
I’ve been blessed at St. John’s to watch kids who have become young adults prepare to go to college all over the country. They are excited to finish their high school careers and are looking forward to great success in the four years ahead. I know this is true for all our local high school students.
First jobs are also beginning. Weddings and Baptisms are being planned. Some of us are celebrating new life while others are praying for loved ones who have gone home to God. These moments, too, are part of life’s journey and invite us to take faithful next steps.
Each transition is an opportunity to reflect on where we are in life, what matters most to us, and how we can continue to grow. These are great times to think about what God wants for us and has planned for us.
One of the biggest lessons I have learned over 53 years in the priesthood is that God has always been in charge. Bringing God into our transitions and decisions makes a meaningful difference in how we live and how we bring His presence to others.
I have had many assignments as a priest, and I never chose or asked for one of them. I always trusted the bishops and the Holy Spirit to guide the process. Not every transition was easy, but I found great peace and happiness in saying “yes” to what I felt God was calling me to.
We do not always know where our next steps will lead. But when we trust that God is walking with us, transitions become less about fear and more about opportunities to love, serve, and use the gifts God has given us.
In this busy season of “Maycember,” may we take time to pause, pray, and ask the Lord where he is leading us next. If we are open to His plan and willing to say “yes,” one day we may look back and see that God led us exactly where we were meant to be.
(Msgr. John Enzler serves as the mission advocate of Catholic Charities of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and is a chaplain at his alma mater, St. John’s College High School in Washington. He writes the Faith in Action column for the archdiocese’s Catholic Standard and Spanish-language El Pregonero newspapers and websites.)
