Some of the best advice I have ever received (and God knows I’ve received a lot of advice over the years), came from my dear friend and mentor, Archbishop Patrick Flores, who used to say, “Be firm, and be flexible.” For five years, I was blessed to work for Archbishop Flores in San Antonio, and I was privileged to be his neighbor because we shared the same residence on the campus of Assumption Seminary. What I think Archbishop Flores tried to get across that applies to us here at St. John the Baptist, is that in life and in ministry, we have to be firm, always upholding our core values and beliefs, and we have to be flexible in the application of those core principles and beliefs. For example, as Catholics we hold firm to the teachings of the Catholic faith as they are revealed in the Nicene Creed, and the Catechism of the Church. But then, we know that when we apply these principles to the ordinary lives of human beings, always we have to do so with great compassion and mercy. This is also true about our new parish. For example, our temporary worship space is not a traditional church. So, we must worship without a sacristy, narthex, sacrarium, confessional, etc. Therefore, we must be flexible and adaptable according to our circumstances. But even while we are being flexible, we must always maintain and uphold the solemnity of the Mass. So, here in our temporary home, we must preserve both of these values: firmness and flexibility. As a source of inspiration, we need look no further than the life of Christ when Jesus said to the disciples, “You must be as cunning as a serpent, and as gentle as a dove.” As we embark on the establishment of this new church, let us invoke the guidance of St. John the Baptist.