Happy Feast of Ascension of the Lord! Happy Mother’s Day! Congratulation to our seniors!

Congratulations to the graduating seniors! We are fast approaching the end of the school year. This weekend our cluster is celebrating graduation weekend for seniors. I take this opportunity to congratulate you and wish you the best. We will hold you in our prayer. Senior year is culmination of more than a decade of hard work, dedication and perseverance. Now, it is a turning point in your life. I am sure seniors, you are with full of dreams and plans for the future. Teachers, parents, and family will look at you with a question: what is next? What are going study? What you want to become? Some of you are already decided, some are not sure yet. Whether you are going to college, entering the work force, joining the military, joining the priesthood or religious life, or unsure of the next step, we are here to offer a prayer, encouragement, and support for you. We want to thank you for what you have done for our cluster, school, and community. When you come home, please don’t forget to come to your spiritual home. There is community of faith waiting to see you.
 
Happy Mother’s Day! There is a beautiful Spanish proverb: "An ounce of mother is better than a pound of clergy."  The word “mom” is synonymous with sacrificial love in its purest form as given by Jesus in his farewell speech:   "love one another as I have loved you.” Mothers leave their legacy with us. They live in and through us. The month of May is traditionally the month of Mary. Through Mary, the work of Motherhood is glorified and sanctified. On this Mother’s Day, presenting all mothers on the altar, let us sing the beautiful song we sing on the Feast of the Presentation, “Gentle woman, peaceful dove, teach us wisdom, teach us love.”
 
Happy Feast of the Ascension of the Lord! This weekend we are celebrating the Ascension of the Lord. There is a beautiful old story that tells how Jesus, after his ascension into Heaven, was surrounded by the Holy Angels who began to inquire about his work on earth. Jesus told them about His birth, life, preaching, death, and resurrection, and how he had accomplished the salvation of the world.  The angel Gabriel asked, “Well, now that you are back in Heaven, who will continue your work on earth?"  Jesus said, "While I was on earth, I gathered a group of people around me who believed in me and loved me.   They will continue to spread the Gospel and carry on the work of the Church.” Gabriel was perplexed.  "You mean Peter, who denied you thrice and all the rest who ran away when you were crucified?  You mean to tell us that you left them to carry on your work? And what will you do if this plan doesn't work?"  Jesus said, "I have no other plan – it must work." Truly, Jesus has no other plan than to depend on the efforts of his followers!
 
In the Gospel for this weekend we read, Jesus said to his disciples: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” St. Augustine says, “We believe in Him, whom we have not seen. Those who have seen him, have announced him ... He who has promised is faithful and never fails: boost your confidence and await his promise ... keep your faith strong!”
 
Jesus counts on you and me. Are we ready?
 
Trip to India! I will be leaving for India to visit my family on May 14 and will be back June 11th. Please keep me in your prayers. You are always in my prayers. Thank you.