As we celebrate the feast of the Ascension I cannot help but reflect on the many ideas and concepts that swirl around this feast…some with unintended consequences!

The word “ascension” itself congers up images of Jesus rising up into the clouds to join the Father and the Holy Spirit somewhere “up there”…far, far away. The problem with this is it can lead us to believe that heaven is “up there” and we are “down here” and that God is far off and distant from us, and from our lives.

This is in stark contrast to the heart and soul of the meaning and significance of the incarnation. The truth of our God having become “incarnate” (in the flesh) in Jesus, which means that God is with us…and not off, watching us from afar.

We need to recall Jesus’ promise…“behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20) These simple words are most profound… there is no need for us to stand gawking skyward with our jaws hanging open. While the physical presence of Jesus Christ as a singular human and divine presence no longer walks the earth in the same flesh as before, be assured that Christ is right here -- as close to us as our own breath -- keeping us alive to be his presence in our world.

As we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus, let us celebrate the presence of the Risen One in our midst! Not far off from us, but actually within us, as Jesus told the disciples…“On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.” (Jn. 14:20)

Before his ascension Jesus gave a clear command and mission to his disciples…and to us. We are charged with preaching the “Good News” of Jesus Christ and called to be a healing, loving and welcoming presence in a world filled with sickness, hatred and exclusion. And the way that we are empowered to take on such herculean tasks is precisely because of this indwelling of The Divine within us.

We must in this time of such turmoil and suffering in our world, open up ourselves, at our deepest levels, to this Divine presence within us and allow the Holy Spirit and the Risen Christ to guide us into personal and communal action aimed at building the “beloved community” where all persons are loved, respected, and valued and included -- just as they are! Just as Jesus loves them and accepts. Just as he loved and accepted the Samaritan woman at the well with all of her former husbands, and just as he did with the tax collector and cheat, Zacchaeus, whose home he chose to dine in before Zacchaeus had the chance to repent for his way of life. Jesus loves us as he finds us and then that love transforms us into better people.

Emboldened by this Divine presence within me, how can I be a “healing, loving and welcoming presence” to the immigrant, the refugee and to those who experience discrimination, racism and bigotry, and sexism?

Let us ask ourselves, how do I “preach” the Good News of Jesus Christ to my family, friends, coworkers, and to those in political power?

And how and where do I experience the presence of the Risen Christ in my life, and how does that experience of the Risen Christ impact my relationships with people, with nature and creation, and with my relationship to material things?

Easter Blessings,

Fr. Tim

Happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers, and to all the women who mentor and care for us and create opportunities for us to grow into the fullness of our potential. May God’s most abundant blessings be upon them today and all the days of their lives! And may each one of us always value and respect all women, everywhere, and work for the safety and equality of all women around the globe.

Last week the Gospel lent itself to reflecting on the topic of loneliness, which is certainly a pertinent topic in our society today. And, so again, this weekend it does. Pretty much everyone has felt lonely, rejected, or abandoned by friends or loved ones at some point in their lives. Most of us have felt fearful, wondering how we will make it through rough times with our children or parents, siblings, or friends.

We suffer personal loss or illness and wonder if we will be able to go on. And certainly as we find ourselves trying to navigate through the remnants of this strange new world after COVID 19, we need today’s Gospel message that tells us -- in the midst of our “lost-ness”…in the midst of our loneliness…in the midst of the fear of what may lay ahead -- that we are never truly alone, we are not abandoned, for the Risen Christ remains with us, always.

When I was little, I used to think that Christ was with me, but only when I was doing something good or only in holy or sacred places. How wrong I was! In today’s Gospel Jesus tries to help his disciples understand that no matter what or how they feel….no matter where they go, he will be with them. And, even more, the Holy Spirit will be given to them and find a resting place within them.

We are the inheritors of this same promise. We are never alone, never abandoned! Our God is always with us. Even when we can’t feel that presence or sense it, God is with us.

Even in the midst of our worst moments, our most selfish actions; even in the midst of our greatest sin, God is present and loving us through that dark moment. And of course, that means that God too is present in and with “the other,” even in their worst moments, in the midst of their most selfish actions!

God’s presence is not dependent on our actions, we do not control God’s presence! No matter how desperate our situation is, God is with us…loving us in the midst of it all.

The real question then seems to be: so what will my response be to that loving indwelling of the Divine presence within me, and within “the other”?

How do I share God’s love with the immigrant, the refugee, the marginalized, the one who is hated or despised because of their nationality or because of the color of their skin, or looked down upon because they are a woman? How do I recognize and value the one who is “other” than me? What is the Holy Spirit calling me to…or away from in my life?

Easter Blessings,
​Fr. Tim

In the First Letter of Peter, we are reminded that we are chosen and precious in the sight of God. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us not to let our hearts be troubled…to have faith in him and in God…that he goes to prepare a place for us and will return to take us to him so that we might be where he is!

These readings today offer us a wonderful opportunity to reflect on God’s love for all of us; thus, a diversity of dwelling places for us -- a place for each one of us, no one excluded by God, because of God’s great love for all of humanity.

Jesus tells the disciples that he is the way, the truth and the life, and we can know God and see God through him! Pope Francis reminds us that “Jesus is the face of the Father’s mercy”, a living incarnation of God’s mercy, an incarnation that we are called to become like, as disciples of Jesus.

Jesus tells his disciples that through their belief in him they will be able to do what he has done and even greater! Perhaps that “even greater” is allowing the risen Christ, who dwells within us, to transform us into an extension of the living presence of God’s mercy in the midst of a wounded and suffering world.

Perhaps the call of the Gospel is to allow ourselves to become “the face of the Father’s mercy”, to take on, as his disciples, the mantel of mercy. To be willing to make meaningful changes to our lives in order that we might better show forth God’s mercy in word and action by reaching out to all the lonely and frightened people we encounter in our lives, and offer a word of hope and encouragement, a word of care that shows kindness, gentleness and mercy to them.

The U.S. Surgeon General and the NIH have both recently released reports linking a grave increased risk for a whole host of serious mental and other health conditions such as: a weakened immune system, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease and even death. All of these linked to loneliness and a lack of social contact with other human beings. And yet we live in a time of unparalleled social media connections, and yet more and more people are finding themselves feeling ever more isolated and alone in an deeply distrusting and divided society. So what is the answer? We are the answer! You and I. Our discipleship calls us to reach out to those in need, both emotional needs and worldly physical needs. To stand with them and let them know that they are cared for and loved by God, and that we love them and care for them.

Making ourselves emotionally available to “the other” can be overwhelming and scary but it also can be a transformative experience, one that takes us to a place of new relationships and can help to heal our own woundedness. And ultimately it may very well be part of God’s plan in calling us to reach out to each other and to be of support to each other. To work together to create the “community of the beloved”! God’s community!

How can I be more merciful in my words? What specifically can I do to be more merciful in my actions? Who in my life right now is most in need of being shown mercy?

Easter Blessings,
​Fr. Tim