Good morning church,

My name is Mauricio. I came to Canada 12 years ago. If someone had told me 15 years ago that I’d move here, I’d have thought they were crazy. And if someone had told me 5 years ago that I’d be getting baptized today, I’m not sure I’d have believed it either. But that’s because I used to think I controlled my own plans until I was welcomed by this church and I learned that God is always in control over my plans.

Growing up in an Italian Catholic family, I was always influenced by one way of talking to God and I never took spirituality seriously or personally. After visiting a few other Catholic churches in Toronto, I never felt truly identified until my family and I decided to visit Cornerstone.

Here, I felt different. I felt welcomed and encouraged to read and study the Bible deeply and with purpose. It didn’t take long for me to notice God working in me, changing me for the better and making me again a happier, more positive person. That’s when I realized Jesus had been calling me multiple times in the past, but I had ignored him because I kept trying to live my life on my own terms, and it wasn’t working.

It’s overwhelming to understand that Jesus sacrificed himself for us, even with all our failures, mistakes, and sins, so we can have a relationship with God. That love fills me with humility.

Today, I’m here presenting my commitment to follow Jesus. Not because I’m perfect or because I found the solution to everything, but because I’m confident in his love and
guidance through every step of my life.

Lastly, I want to thank Cornerstone for welcoming me and my family. I want to thank my mother in law for her guidance and patience. I want to thank my kids, Giulietta and Eros, for teaching me so much every day. And a very special thank you to my wife, Sara, without her, I wouldn’t be who I am today.

To represent my spiritual rebirth, I’d like to include 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

Thank you for supporting me on this important step in my journey. I’m excited to see how God continues to work in my life.