We all need a fresh start from time to time. Maybe it’s a fresh start in your ​​personal finances, your marriage, your relationship with your children or parents, your health or your career. There are endless aspects of our lives that could use a fresh start every once in a while. 

The beautiful thing is that our God is a God of new beginnings. He is a God of fresh starts, second chances, and new possibilities. God is always inviting us to a new beginning.

When something in our lives becomes full of tiredness, frustration, or stagnation, our reaction is to feel disoriented and uncertain about the next step. Often, this is exactly when God is inviting us to a new beginning.

Blessed Sebastian De Aparicio was a man of new beginnings. Each time he encountered a period of restlessness or uncertainty in his life, he sought out God for a new beginning and followed God's lead.

Sebastian was born in Spain, but around the age of thirty-one, he began to feel restless. He felt God calling him to the New World, so he sailed to Mexico and played a pivotal role in spreading Christianity there while working as a farmer. 

When he was seventy-two years old, his life filled with uncertainty again after his second wife died. So he asked God what he should do. And God gave him his answer: become a Franciscan. So that is what Blessed Sebastian De Aparicio did. He didn’t let age stop him. He simply followed God’s calling, and eagerly entered a new beginning.

Our God is a God of new beginnings. When things stop making sense, ask him what his plan is. And when you discern the answer, get ready for a fresh start.

Also Known As: Travelers

Symbols: Oxcart with Oxen

Feast Day: February 25

Beatified: May 17, 1789

Beatified By:  Pope Pius VI