4th Sunday of Easter

The Solemnity of the Ascension

HUMAN HOLINESS The Ascension is most closely related, in meaning, to Christmas, for both are incarnational.  At Christmas, what it means to be God became fully a part of what it means to be human.  In Jesus, the human and divine become united in the person and life of one man. That’s what happened in Christmas.  At the Ascension, this human being – the person and the resurrected body of Jesus – became for all eternity a part of who God is.  The life of a single human being is forever joined to the life of God the Father, the one who created the heavens and the earth.  It was not the spirit of Jesus or the divine nature of Jesus that ascended to the Father.  It was the resurrected body of Jesus: a body that the disciples had touched, a body that ate and drank with them, a real physical, but gloriously resurrected body, bearing the marks of nails and a spear.  This is what ascended.

Commencement Address for Holy Trinity High School

RITUAL AND TRANSITION First of all, I want to congratulate you on all that has brought you to this day, as well as the people who have brought you here: your families, friends, mentors, teachers, coaches and supporters. It is an honor to be able to celebrate this moment with you. Ironically, it is a day I did not participate in myself. I simply didn’t like the pomp and circumstance, and I have never liked a lot of attention. What I did not appreciate in my younger years, and most certainly something I appreciate now, is the importance of ritual. It is an old-sounding kind of word, usually conjuring images of royalty, or medieval or primal images in our mind. But I assure you, we are ritualistic people because they help us to accept the changes that are necessary in order for us to grow. We need moments when we break our routine and recognize that we are different . . . as do the people around us. We need moments to celebrate, lest we forget how far we have come – because we have.

5th Sunday of Easter

5th Sunday of Easter by Fr. Chris Valka, CSB

4th Sunday of Easter

MOTHER'S DAY Traditionally, today is known as Good Shepherd Sunday because of the shepherd and the sheep who hear his voice.  Of course, it is also Mother’s Day – a day when we also celebrate our shepherds who have sheep who don’t always hear their voice! It is a day when I always feel little awkward trying to reflect on the experience of motherhood.  The sanctity of the relationship between a mother and child gives me pause and leaves me humbled.  I don’t know if I could ever have enough courage to allow my soul to live inside another person, but as far as I can tell, that is often what mothers do.  Thus, I want to share a story I read from the book "Untie the Strong Woman" by Clarissa Pinkola Estes.

Third Sunday of Easter

Next Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Easter, is commonly known as Good Shepherd Sunday, because of the Gospel regarding the sheep who hear the Master’s voice. And for that reason, it is also regarded as day when speak about vocations - to the priesthood specifically, though most homilists include all vocations. However, my experience has taught me that today’s Gospel is really the more accurate one about vocations – especially to the priesthood. Next week is the nice version – the much more attractive version. This week is about the hard reality. “Do you love me”, Jesus asks. Then follow me to where you do not want to go. Follow me and you will die, and it will be glorious. This is the life of service and sacrifice. This is priesthood. And it is not that I don’t want to go, but rather, I am mindful of the death that is required. These days there is a lot of talk about priesthood and a great deal of criticism (for good reasons), but today I think I would like to speak about it all from a different point of view – from that of today’s Gospel where love leads us to follow no matter the costs.