The 40th day of Easter...

..or Ascension Thursday has come and gone, which means Pentecost is right around the corner. The readings yesterday reminded us of the initial despair that the apostles likely experienced when Jesus ascended into Heaven. They needed a reminder that He would return and, in the meantime, they needed to wait for the fulfillment of God's promise. On Pentecost, fear and anxiety was transformed into courage and the apostles went forth to proclaim the Word! One by one through personal encounters they brought the love and mercy of Christ to anyone who would listen.

For me, it is fitting that the celebratory days of the Easter season culminate with Pentecost - a harvest feast of offering our first fruits to our loving Father transformed into the feast of the Father offering the gift of the Holy Spirit to us all. I tend to be prideful, desiring to do great things. Yet the Father whispers, "Let me!" I'm reminded to live my life, to proclaim the word, to "remain." Thus the fruit is born. Two thousand years after the Apostles, the teachings of our Lord must still be transmitted in a series of encounters - in relationship! Our deepest calling as parents is to transmit the love and mercy of God the Father to our children and only then can the teachings of our Lord take root.

Father Don reminded us:

"We are loved and not abandoned,

Treasured and not forgotten,

Cherished and not dismissed."

May the Good Shepherd bless and keep your families ~

Beate