THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD

1 JUNE 2025

 

          Today we hear two accounts of the Ascension from Saint Luke.  In the second account we heard, Saint Luke brings his Gospel to its conclusion.  He has given his account of passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  He has described the scene at the empty tomb when the two men dressed in white ask the women, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead?”  He has told us of the two disciples who encountered the risen Lord on the road to Emmaus and how they have recognized him in the breaking of bread.  He has described the meals eaten by disciples with the risen Lord after his resurrection.  Now he leads his disciples out to Bethany, as Moses had led his people out of slavery and into freedom.  He is taken up to heaven away from their midst.  They return to Jerusalem with great joy.  Saint Luke’s Gospel account of Jesus Christ, the risen Lord and Savior, is now complete.

            Saint Luke’s other account of the Ascension is what we heard as the first reading today.  It is the beginning of his second volume, the Acts of the Apostles.  He tells us that the risen Christ has been physically present to his apostles for forty days.  This symbolic number indicates that there has been a sufficient period of time to prepare those who had witnessed the Easter event for the mission of the Church.  He reminds them of the kingdom of God which he has established and tells them to wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  Prompted by the Holy Spirit, the work of the Church will begin.  Then he is taken from their sight.

            The Ascension is an integral part of the Paschal Mystery, along with the death of Jesus Christ, his resurrection, and the sending of the Holy Spirit.  This Paschal Mystery is at the heart of everything we believe as Christians.  A mystery is a reality that we cannot fully understand.  That is why artistic representations of mystery can be helpful.  An interesting painting of the Ascension pictures the twelve apostles looking intently up to heaven.  There, the physical body of Jesus has disappeared in a cloud, symbolic of God’s mysterious presence.  However, the apostles can see the feet of Jesus, with the wounds of the nails of his crucifixion clearly present.  Although Jesus is taken up to heaven to reign in glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit, he is present to us.  We are invited to walk with him on our feet to share his majesty and power and to go eventually to where he has gone.  That is why those same two men dressed in white ask a similar question, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky?”  They are assuring the apostles that the Lord will be present to them, and that they should walk with him as they wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to begin the work of the Church.  They are the Body of Christ, sharing Christ’s power and glory.  But, that power is not like the power of the rulers of this earth.  The rulers of this world rely on force and other intimidating methods to secure their power.  It is the power of the crucified and risen Lord, supporting their efforts to exercise the power of love as humble servants.

            The risen Lord is present to us, who are his Body.  He is truly present to us in the Sacramental life of the Church.  He speaks to us in the Word we have just heard.  He feeds us with his Body and Blood in this Eucharist.  He sends us out of this Church to walk with him and reveal the presence of his kingdom in the humble ways we share in his power and glory.  Like those first apostles, we wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit next Sunday on the Solemnity of Pentecost.  If we are open to this new outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, then we too can produce good fruits in a world that badly needs them.

 

 

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

25 MAY 2025

 

          Jesus is speaking to his disciples at the Last Supper.  He is trying to prepare them for his betrayal, death, and resurrection.  What we hear today is known as his “farewell discourse.”  In bidding farewell to them, he assures them that they will not be alone after his physical departure.  He tells them not to be troubled or afraid, because the Father will give the gift of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who will be present to them.  Jesus leaves them with the gift of peace – not the peace the world gives, but the gift Jesus himself gives.

            The world thinks of peace in terms of an absence of conflict.  The peace that Jesus gives is much more profound and does not avoid conflict, pain, or suffering.  In fact, Jesus exhibits that peace when he is betrayed, faces an unjust trial, is crucified, and enters death.  His peace comes from his intimate relationship with his Father.  We can see that peace in today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles.  The early Church faces its first great conflict, as it grows beyond its Jewish roots to include non-Jews.  For their entire lives, Jews were careful about avoiding certain foods.  According to the law of Moses, all males were circumcised.  To avoid contamination, they avoided all contact with non-Jews.  When the Jewish Christians hear that Paul and Barnabas have been baptizing gentiles, they insist that they must follow the Law of Moses.  In this huge controversy, the peace of Christ does not keep them from arguing among themselves.  Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, the gift of peace enables them to decide.  Gentile converts are not required to follow the Law of Moses.  However out of charity for the sensitivities of their Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ, they should restrict their freedom by not buying meat at the market that had been sacrificed to idols, from any kind of blood, meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. 

            This same gift of peace is given to us.  It does not prevent arguments or pain or suffering.  However, that the gift of peace establishes a close relationship with the Father.  If we are open to the workings of the Holy Spirit, the gift of peace gets us through some very difficult situations.  Over the years, I have come to be grateful for that gift in my life.  When I was ordained, I had thought that the most difficult promise would be my promise to be a celibate for the rest of my life.  Instead, the most difficult promise has been the promise to respect and obey the Bishop and his successors.  Every time I have kept that promise, moving from one assignment to another has been terribly difficult.  When Bishop McManus moved me from being chaplain at Marian High School to being pastor of Saint Paul of the Cross in Columbia City, I was crushed.  I did not know what pastors did, and living in a small town was a challenge.  I knew it was not very smart to tell parishioners that I did not want to be there.  So, I pretended to be happy.  At the end of my first year, I helped to paint the rectory.  Up on a ladder painting the gable, I looked down to see all the men painting the rectory and doing the trim work.  The women and the kids were setting up tables for a homecooked meal, complete with a barrel of beer.  I accepted the gift of Christ’s peace and served the rest of my pastorate with gratitude and enthusiasm.

            The first reading gives a vision of the new heavens and new earth after the end of time.  The vision gives very precise information about the heavenly Jerusalem.  In the vision, there is no temple, which would have been the center of Jerusalem, where people would have recognized the dwelling of God in their midst.  There is no temple in the new and eternal city of Jerusalem, because inhabitants will see God face to face.  That vision is a promise that we will see God face to face, because we have a personal relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit now.  This is the peace which the world cannot give!

 

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

18 MAY 2025

 

          If you have gone on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the vision of a new heaven and a new earth in today’s reading from the Book of Revelation takes on new meaning.  The vision speaks of the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  The old city of Jerusalem is a remarkable place.  In the year 2000, I spent four months living and studying in the town of Bethany, now in the occupied West Bank.  We would study in the morning and be free to do whatever we wanted in the afternoon.  I spent almost every free afternoon going to the old city and exploring its wonders.

Its narrow streets take visitors through the different quarters of the city:  the Arab, the Jewish, the Christian, and the Armenian Quarters.  Each has its own character and its own food and drink.  The city can be traced back to the days of King David, where kings and prophets and priests lived and had their impact on the city.  Jesus himself was present in the Temple, now occupied by the Islamic Dome of the Rock.  Pilgrims can pray in a number of ancient churches, especially the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built over Calvary and the empty tomb.  However, the city will be transformed at the end of the world.  In the new Jerusalem, people can walk through the Damascus Gate without having their pockets picked.  In the new Jerusalem, there will be more regular garbage collection.  In the New Jerusalem, Arab kids will not be throwing stones at armed Jewish soldiers. 

This image is proclaimed as good news by Paul and Barnabas in the Acts of the Apostles.  In their travels, they preach first in Jewish synagogues, where they are usually thrown out.  Then, they witness the faith to the Gentiles.  They strengthen, console, and uplift the members of the newly formed churches.  They promise that death is not the end for those who believe in Jesus Christ.  They promise transformation, just as the risen Christ was transformed.  They promise that death will not destroy all those positive qualities possessed by believers in life.  Like the new Jerusalem, there will be no more suffering, no more sin, no more conflict, and no more death.

At the Last Supper, Judas leaves the room to betray Jesus.  In that dark hour, Jesus proclaims to his disciples that the Son of Man is glorified NOW, and that God is glorified in him.  Jesus trusts that his Father will transform his horrific suffering and death into victory.  Knowing what will happen, Jesus gives a new commandment.  He commands that they love one another, as he has loved them.  He has spent three years revealing the presence of the Kingdom of God through miracles, teachings, and quality time together.  He has just washed their feet, as humble servants would wash feet.  He will give his life completely out of love for them. 

At this Memorial of the Last Supper, he gives the same command to us.  The command is simple.  He doesn’t tell us to participate at Mass every Sunday.  He doesn’t command us to work as a parish to bring in new members or to participate in parish ministries.  Of course, all of these are good and necessary.  As simple and straightforward as his command may be, it is demanding and difficult.  This command involves dying to ourselves.   It can involve suffering humiliation rather than attacking another.  It might involve listening to a political opponent and showing love and respect instead of biting his or her head off.  It might mean being kind to someone who has betrayed us.  It can involve giving a helping hand and a real, personal friendship to the homeless, migrants, non-Christians, the disoriented or those confused by mental illness, or to those who have been mocked or turned away by others.  If we can love as he has loved us, all will clearly know us as his disciples, just as many came to know Paul and Barnabas as his disciples.

 

FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

11 MAY 2025

 

            The Book of Revelation presents for us a vision of God’s ultimate triumph.  A huge multitude from every nation, race, people, and tongue worships God in his temple.  There are so many people that no one can count them.  They have survived the time of great distress and hold palm branches in their hands, signifying their ultimate victory.  Their white robes indicate their interior disposition.  They stand before the one who has saved them:  not a powerful lion or a mighty bear, but a humble lamb that has been slain.  Their robes have been washed in the blood of the lamb, who will shelter them forever.  They will not thirst or hunger anymore.  Nor will the sun or any heat strike them.  The lamb will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water.  God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Jesus promises this ultimate victory in the Gospel.  He speaks in the temple on the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple, known today as Hanukkah.  He does not speak like the priests who had been responsible for the desecration of the temple some 200 prior.  They had been too busy taking care of themselves instead of caring for their flock like good shepherds.  Instead, he speaks from the perspective of the Maccabean martyrs who died to drive out the pagan rulers from Jerusalem, leading to the purification and rededication of the temple.  Because of the sacrifices of the Maccabees, the people are gathered together as one flock.

            Jesus identifies himself as the good shepherd who is one with the Father.  He knows each of us by name and has invited us to follow him.  He promises the eternal life, the vision given in the Book of Revelation.  The Good Shepherd will become the lamb slain on the cross, defeating the power of death and sin by entering into it and being raised from the dead.  As we continue to reflect on the Lord’s resurrection during these fifty days of Easter, we double down on our intention to imitate the sacrificial love of the Good Shepherd in our lives.        

            Because Good Shepherd Sunday falls on Mother’s Day this year, we give thanks for our mothers and for those who have been like mothers to us.  Mothers, at the heart of your vocation is the call to imitate the Good Shepherd and lay down your lives for the sheep entrusted to your care.  Of course, you know them by name and make daily sacrifices for their welfare.  On behalf of all of us, thank you.  May the Good Shepherd strengthen you in your vocation.

            Good Shepherd Sunday also falls on this time of transition for our Church.  We express our gratitude for the many ways that Pope Francis laid down his life during the last twelve years for us, the sheep of his flock.  He always insisted that we priests, who see ourselves as shepherds, must walk with our sheep and know the smell of our sheep in this messy and dangerous world. 

            We also give thanks to God for the gift of our new shepherd, Pope Leo XIV.  May the Lord strengthen him in his new ministry and guide him to serve the Church as Bishop of Rome.  We pray for him, as we do when we pray every Eucharistic Prayer.  The name he has chosen as Pope provides guidance for us.  Pope Saint Leo the Great was the Bishop of Rome in the fifth century.  He used his diplomatic skills to serve the Church and to save the city of Rome from the attack of Attila the Hun.  Pope Leo XIII served as the Bishop of Rome at the end of the nineteenth century.  His Encyclical Rerum et Novarum addressed the plights of ordinary working people who suffered in the Industrial Revolution as wealthy titans ignored their rights.  He encouraged workers to form labor unions as a means of receiving just compensation.  His encyclical became the foundation for the Popes of the twentieth century as they developed Catholic Social Teaching.  May the Holy Spirit guide Pope Leo XIV as leads the Church in addressing the challenges of today’s technological revolution.

 

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER

4 MAY 2025

 

            When Simon Peter climbs on shore and sees the charcoal fire, could he be thinking of another charcoal fire?  The one burning in the courtyard of the high priest?  As he was warming himself around that fire while Jesus was being tried by the Sanhedrin, he had denied three times that he knows him.  He deeply regrets those denials.  The risen Christ brings them up when he asks Peter three times if he loves him.  He asks three times not to rub salt into Peter’s wounds, but to heal him.  He asks, because he knows that Peter is deeply sorry for his sins.  Jesus continues to invite Peter to be the leader of his Church by inviting him to feed his lambs, tend his sheep, and feed his sheep.  I would have said, “You blew it, Peter.  I am appointing John to lead my Church.  I always liked him better anyway!”

            Not Jesus!  He has always invited flawed human beings to be in positions of authority in his Church.  It is interesting to reflect on this Gospel as the College of Cardinals gathers in the Conclave on Wednesday to elect the next successor to Saint Peter.  It is true that the successor of Saint Peter has the gift of infallibility when he makes a definition about a dogma in union with his fellow bishops.  However, individual popes have always been fallible human beings.  Eamon Duffy has written Saints and Sinners, A History of the Popes.  It is an interesting book to read, because he tells the story of outstanding and holy popes.  But he also describes those popes who were corrupt and far from holiness. 

            When he was still Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict said this about the Conclave of Cardinals gathered to elect a new pope: “I would not say … that the Holy Spirit picks out the Pope, because there are too many contrary instances of popes the Holy Spirit would obviously have not picked.  I would say that the Spirit does not exactly take control of the affair, but rather like a good educator, as it were, leaves us much space, much freedom, without entirely abandoning us.  Thus, the Spirit’s role should be understood in a much more elastic sense, not that he dictates the candidate for whom one must vote.  Probably the only assurance he offers is that the thing cannot be totally ruined.”  When he says that “The thing cannot totally be ruined,” he is alluding to the Gospel of Saint Matthew.  Jesus calls Peter the “Rock” upon which he will build his Church.  He promises that the gates of hell will not prevail against it.  The Holy Spirit has clearly been guiding the Church over the last 2,000 years.  Duffy’s book proves that Jesus Christ has clearly kept his promise.  The thing cannot totally be ruined!

            During my lifetime, there have been several conclaves.  Each of them has given us holy and dedicated men called to be successors of Simon Peter.  Each pope has brought his own gifts and personality to the papacy.  Pope John XIII brought a sense of humanity to the papacy and surprised everyone by calling the Second Vatican Council.  Pope Paul VI had the difficult task of completing the Council after John’s death and always looked sad.  Pope John Paul I brought many smiles to the job and lasted only a month.  Pope John Paul II was a philosopher and an extravert who attracted large crowds to hear him.  Pope Benedict was an introvert and a brilliant scholar and teacher who seldom spoke off the cuff.  Pope Francis was a pastor who cared deeply for his flock, especially those on the peripheries.  He never hesitated to talk off the cuff, sometimes causing people to roll their eyes and wonder what he was talking about.  As a pastor myself, I do that all the time!

            Be sure to pray for the Cardinals as they enter into the Conclave on Wednesday.  Pray that they remain open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  We wait together for the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel.  No matter who gets elected, the Church will be fine.