This letter from Archbishop Michael G. McGovern appeared in the January 2026 edition of The True Voice magazine. Copies of the magazine can be found at parishes across the archdiocese.
Dear Friends in Christ:
A while back while flying on a plane, I was struck by the sight of numerous passengers trying to cram their bags into the overhead bins above their seats. The scene made me reflect about how often we try to take too much with us when we travel. Over the years, my own preference is to “travel light.”
What would it look like for us to “travel light” in 2026? May I suggest that we begin by letting go of some of the baggage we carry with us through life.
First, let’s drop the grudges we may hold against people. Many of us can hold a grudge for a long time. In some cases, we might even forget the source of the grudge, yet we still cling to it. May I suggest that we pray to God to help the person we hold the grudge against. Invite the Lord to bring light and a spirit of forgiveness into your heart. How much lighter we will feel as we let go of the grudge and allow ourselves to move on from the original upset.
Second, let’s drop our feelings of envy toward others. Too frequently we can fixate on what we don’t have rather than be grateful for what we do have. Instead, we may concentrate on the blessings other people seem to enjoy and lose sight of the blessings God has given us. Let’s let go of envy and be more mindful of the presence and action of God in our lives.
Third, let’s drop what can be the heaviest bag we carry through life: anger. From childhood to adulthood, any one of us can experience feeling angry toward others. The source of our anger can be the hurt we experienced due to being mistreated by people or when we felt people mistreated our family members or those that we love. What would it take for us to let go of anger over the past? I suggest that we look to Jesus and ask for his help in understanding how anger has grown in our hearts. Ask Jesus to help us begin to let go of the anger within our hearts and free us from the paralysis that can take over our lives because we are so angry. When preparing for Mass on Sunday, perhaps take a moment in prayer and place our anger and hurt before the Lord, asking for the healing of memories.
These are just some brief thoughts at the start of the New Year. I encourage all of our readers to “travel light” in 2026, so that we can follow the Lord more closely and spontaneously. Let’s strive to imitate Jesus in how we live today and in the coming year.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Archbishop Michael McGovern
Here is Archbishop Michael McGovern’s calendar through the end of March, including both private and public events. Please note that this schedule is subject to change.
Jan. 18: Father James Keiter Mass of Installation, St. Margaret Mary Church, Omaha
Jan. 29: Eighth Grade Catholic Schools Mass, St. Cecilia Cathedral
Jan. 29: Mass at Scotus Central Catholic, Columbus
Jan. 30: Mass at Gross Catholic High School, Bellevue
Jan. 31: Bishops’ Pro-life Mass, St. Mary Church, Lincoln
Feb. 1: Mass for Consecrated Life, St. Patrick Church, Elkhorn
Feb. 2-4: Clergy Conference
Feb. 10: Mass at Duchesne Academy, Omaha
Feb. 18: Mass at Mercy High School, Omaha
Feb. 18: Ash Wednesday Mass, St. Cecilia Cathedral
Feb. 21: Women’s Day of Recollection, St. Robert Bellarmine Church, Omaha
Feb. 22: Rite of Election, St. Cecilia Cathedral
Feb. 28: Men’s Day of Recollection, St. Wenceslaus Church, Omaha
March 14: Ancient Order of Hibernians Parade, Downtown Omaha
March 20: 2026 Omaha Pueri Cantores High School Choral Festival and Mass, St. Cecilia Cathedral
March 29: Palm Sunday Mass, St. Cecilia Cathedral
March 30: Chrism Mass, St. Cecilia Cathedral
Commentary
Travel Light In 2026
January 14, 2026
This letter from Archbishop Michael G. McGovern appeared in the January 2026 edition of The True Voice magazine. Copies of the magazine can be found at parishes across the archdiocese.
Dear Friends in Christ:
A while back while flying on a plane, I was struck by the sight of numerous passengers trying to cram their bags into the overhead bins above their seats. The scene made me reflect about how often we try to take too much with us when we travel. Over the years, my own preference is to “travel light.”
What would it look like for us to “travel light” in 2026? May I suggest that we begin by letting go of some of the baggage we carry with us through life.
First, let’s drop the grudges we may hold against people. Many of us can hold a grudge for a long time. In some cases, we might even forget the source of the grudge, yet we still cling to it. May I suggest that we pray to God to help the person we hold the grudge against. Invite the Lord to bring light and a spirit of forgiveness into your heart. How much lighter we will feel as we let go of the grudge and allow ourselves to move on from the original upset.
Second, let’s drop our feelings of envy toward others. Too frequently we can fixate on what we don’t have rather than be grateful for what we do have. Instead, we may concentrate on the blessings other people seem to enjoy and lose sight of the blessings God has given us. Let’s let go of envy and be more mindful of the presence and action of God in our lives.
Third, let’s drop what can be the heaviest bag we carry through life: anger. From childhood to adulthood, any one of us can experience feeling angry toward others. The source of our anger can be the hurt we experienced due to being mistreated by people or when we felt people mistreated our family members or those that we love. What would it take for us to let go of anger over the past? I suggest that we look to Jesus and ask for his help in understanding how anger has grown in our hearts. Ask Jesus to help us begin to let go of the anger within our hearts and free us from the paralysis that can take over our lives because we are so angry. When preparing for Mass on Sunday, perhaps take a moment in prayer and place our anger and hurt before the Lord, asking for the healing of memories.
These are just some brief thoughts at the start of the New Year. I encourage all of our readers to “travel light” in 2026, so that we can follow the Lord more closely and spontaneously. Let’s strive to imitate Jesus in how we live today and in the coming year.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Archbishop Michael McGovern
Here is Archbishop Michael McGovern’s calendar through the end of March, including both private and public events. Please note that this schedule is subject to change.
Jan. 18: Father James Keiter Mass of Installation, St. Margaret Mary Church, Omaha
Jan. 29: Eighth Grade Catholic Schools Mass, St. Cecilia Cathedral
Jan. 29: Mass at Scotus Central Catholic, Columbus
Jan. 30: Mass at Gross Catholic High School, Bellevue
Jan. 31: Bishops’ Pro-life Mass, St. Mary Church, Lincoln
Feb. 1: Mass for Consecrated Life, St. Patrick Church, Elkhorn
Feb. 2-4: Clergy Conference
Feb. 10: Mass at Duchesne Academy, Omaha
Feb. 18: Mass at Mercy High School, Omaha
Feb. 18: Ash Wednesday Mass, St. Cecilia Cathedral
Feb. 21: Women’s Day of Recollection, St. Robert Bellarmine Church, Omaha
Feb. 22: Rite of Election, St. Cecilia Cathedral
Feb. 28: Men’s Day of Recollection, St. Wenceslaus Church, Omaha
March 14: Ancient Order of Hibernians Parade, Downtown Omaha
March 20: 2026 Omaha Pueri Cantores High School Choral Festival and Mass, St. Cecilia Cathedral
March 29: Palm Sunday Mass, St. Cecilia Cathedral
March 30: Chrism Mass, St. Cecilia Cathedral