After forty days of being with the disciples after his Resurrection, which we have celebrated during these forty days of the Easter season, Jesus has crossed into Heaven to take his place at the Father's right hand, as the prophecies foretold for the Messiah. The Father has crowned him with the glory he merited by his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, and in turn, he is eternally asking the Father for each of us–by name–to receive the graces we need to join him one day in eternity and to help others get there too.
In today's First Reading Saint Luke recalls why he decided to make his writings a two-volume set. The work of salvation is not done until everyone has an opportunity to be saved.
The Lord's Ascension is just as important for the Church as his Incarnation, Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Like the disciples in today's First Reading, we are awaiting the Lord's return in glory, but we also know that in Ascending to Heaven, he is not just sitting up there on his hands.
He and the Father are preparing to send the Holy Spirit to his Church, just as we await on Pentecost Sunday a week and a half from now, and then our part in his saving work goes into high gear, as attested to by the Acts of the Apostles. Our Lord also speaks on our behalf to the Father for all eternity, interceding for us. We need the whole Trinity's help in fulfilling our mission throughout history: to help Our Lord in Heaven to continue his saving work on earth.
In today's Second Reading, St. Paul reminds what Our Lord won through his victory over sin and death. The Lord returns to Heaven in glory for what he suffered and endured for us. Taking his place at the Father's right hand is taking the highest place of honor next to the Father's, not only as his Son but as his Son, who has pleased him.
Our Lord does not just receive glory. He receives a reward as well. Even as he was preparing to ascend, he told his disciples that all authority had been given to him by his Father (see Matthew 28:18). He doesn't just rest on his laurels. He puts that influence to work for us and our efforts to help share his Gospel with the whole world.
In today's Gospel Our Lord imparts a blessing even as he is taken up into Heaven. He doesn't stop imparting blessings, even today. In a little over a week, he'll impart once again the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
The Easter season is longer than any other season except for Ordinary Time, and before his Ascension, the days he spent, risen from the dead, were some of the most precious on earth for his faithful disciples. It was quality time just for them.
He's looking forward to spending that quality time with us in Heaven, and from eternity he is doing everything in his power to make sure that happens. As the Easter season nears its conclusion in ten days, we too should be rejoicing as we recall all the blessings he has imparted to us during these forty days. We should also rejoice over the blessings to come.
This Sunday, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. We profess our faith in this glorious mystery when we say in the Nicene Creed: He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. We believe that Jesus' earthly life reached its culmination when He passed from this world to the Father. He no longer belongs to the world of corruption and death that conditions our earthly life. He passed into the glorified state in God.
It is important to understand that the Ascension does not mean that Jesus has departed from us. He has not abandoned us or left us orphans. Otherwise, after the Ascension, the disciples would not have returned to Jerusalem with great joy, as Saint Luke tells us (24:52). He is close to each one of us forever. Recall the words of Jesus at the end of Matthew's Gospel: And lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age (Matthew 28:19).
With His Ascension into heaven, the Lord Jesus is now present to us in a new way. On the eve of His Passion, Jesus had told the apostles that it was to their advantage that He go away. He said: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you: but if I go, I will send Him to you" (John 16:7). Though Jesus' earthly and visible presence in the world ends, He remains with us in an invisible way. He has not left us alone. He is always close to us.
Christ sends us the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, Christ continues to be with us, sanctifying us and giving us life. He acts through the Holy Spirit in the Church and in our souls. He guides us and leads us to the Father. Christ, the Head, is never separated from His Body, the Church. He entered heaven as our Head.Pope Saint Leo the Great taught that at the Ascension, the glory of the Head became the hope of the Body. This is very true: because Christ has ascended to the Father to prepare a place for us, we have hope of eternal life with Him in heaven.
Exalted at the right hand of the Father, Christ intercedes for us with the Father. He is our eternal High Priest, our Mediator with the Father. As the letter to the Hebrews says: He always lives to make intercession for them (7:25). He communicates to us His Body, the Church, the grace and strength to live in Him. Because of Christ's intercession with the Father, we are able to grow in holiness.
Jesus is present to us in His word and in the sacraments. Jesus is visibly present in the Church in "a sacramental manner." We think especially of His presence in the Holy Eucharist. In the Eucharist, we participate in the new life of Christ's Body glorified by the Spirit. Christ's holy Body and Blood is our food on our journey to the Father's house.
Another important truth about the mystery of the Ascension concerns our own journey to the Father's house. There, Jesus said, He has gone to prepare a place for us. He waits for us. When He ascended into heaven, Jesus took our humanity to God and He opened the path for us to heavenly glory. He united humanity with God forever.
As we meditate on the mystery of Our Lord's Ascension, we also remember His words to the disciples immediately before His Ascension. He not only promises the Holy Spirit, He commands the disciples to go forth as missionaries to the world. He gives them the charge of evangelization. He then gives them the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this mission.
The Ascension does not point to Jesus' absence, but tells us that He is alive in our midst in a new way. He is no longer in a specific place in the world as He was before the Ascension. He is now in the lordship of God, present in every space and time, close to each one of us. In our life we are never alone: we have this Advocate who awaits us, who defends us. We are never alone: the Crucified and Risen Lord guides us. We have with us a multitude of brothers and sisters who, in silence and concealment, in their family life and at work, in their problems and hardships, in their joys and hopes, live faith daily and together with us bring the world the lordship of God's love, in the Risen Jesus Christ, ascended into Heaven, our own Advocate who pleads for us.
Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.
The Catholic Women's League is appealing to the parishioners to help in raising funds for the disadvantaged students and families enduring hardships. There are envelopes on the bulletin board by the exit door, which contain information on how you can help the Catholic Women's League raise funds. Any assistance would go a long way to transform lives. Thank you for helping the less fortunate in our society. For details, please refer to Notice Board (near Side Entrance).
TAIZÉ prayer will be held on 28 May (Friday) at 8:00 PM at St. Anne's Church and will have synchronized playback on Facebook. We welcome all brothers and sisters to participate!
MEDITATION is a way of deep praying. Through the silence, it helps you understand yourself and leads you into the presence of God. Come and learn this silent form of prayer - prayer of the heart. The St Anne's group meets 7:00 PM every Tuesday in the sanctuary. Come a little earlier to quiet down.
After forty days of being with the disciples after his Resurrection, which we have celebrated during these forty days of the Easter season, Jesus has crossed into Heaven to take his place at the Father's right hand, as the prophecies foretold for the Messiah. The Father has crowned him with the glory he merited by his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, and in turn, he is eternally asking the Father for each of us–by name–to receive the graces we need to join him one day in eternity and to help others get there too.
In today's First Reading Saint Luke recalls why he decided to make his writings a two-volume set. The work of salvation is not done until everyone has an opportunity to be saved.
The Lord's Ascension is just as important for the Church as his Incarnation, Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Like the disciples in today's First Reading, we are awaiting the Lord's return in glory, but we also know that in Ascending to Heaven, he is not just sitting up there on his hands.
He and the Father are preparing to send the Holy Spirit to his Church, just as we await on Pentecost Sunday a week and a half from now, and then our part in his saving work goes into high gear, as attested to by the Acts of the Apostles. Our Lord also speaks on our behalf to the Father for all eternity, interceding for us. We need the whole Trinity's help in fulfilling our mission throughout history: to help Our Lord in Heaven to continue his saving work on earth.
In today's Second Reading, St. Paul reminds what Our Lord won through his victory over sin and death. The Lord returns to Heaven in glory for what he suffered and endured for us. Taking his place at the Father's right hand is taking the highest place of honor next to the Father's, not only as his Son but as his Son, who has pleased him.
Our Lord does not just receive glory. He receives a reward as well. Even as he was preparing to ascend, he told his disciples that all authority had been given to him by his Father (see Matthew 28:18). He doesn't just rest on his laurels. He puts that influence to work for us and our efforts to help share his Gospel with the whole world.
In today's Gospel Our Lord imparts a blessing even as he is taken up into Heaven. He doesn't stop imparting blessings, even today. In a little over a week, he'll impart once again the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
The Easter season is longer than any other season except for Ordinary Time, and before his Ascension, the days he spent, risen from the dead, were some of the most precious on earth for his faithful disciples. It was quality time just for them.
He's looking forward to spending that quality time with us in Heaven, and from eternity he is doing everything in his power to make sure that happens. As the Easter season nears its conclusion in ten days, we too should be rejoicing as we recall all the blessings he has imparted to us during these forty days. We should also rejoice over the blessings to come.
This Sunday, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. We profess our faith in this glorious mystery when we say in the Nicene Creed: He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. We believe that Jesus' earthly life reached its culmination when He passed from this world to the Father. He no longer belongs to the world of corruption and death that conditions our earthly life. He passed into the glorified state in God.
It is important to understand that the Ascension does not mean that Jesus has departed from us. He has not abandoned us or left us orphans. Otherwise, after the Ascension, the disciples would not have returned to Jerusalem with great joy, as Saint Luke tells us (24:52). He is close to each one of us forever. Recall the words of Jesus at the end of Matthew's Gospel: And lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age (Matthew 28:19).
With His Ascension into heaven, the Lord Jesus is now present to us in a new way. On the eve of His Passion, Jesus had told the apostles that it was to their advantage that He go away. He said: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you: but if I go, I will send Him to you" (John 16:7). Though Jesus' earthly and visible presence in the world ends, He remains with us in an invisible way. He has not left us alone. He is always close to us.
Christ sends us the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, Christ continues to be with us, sanctifying us and giving us life. He acts through the Holy Spirit in the Church and in our souls. He guides us and leads us to the Father. Christ, the Head, is never separated from His Body, the Church. He entered heaven as our Head.Pope Saint Leo the Great taught that at the Ascension, the glory of the Head became the hope of the Body. This is very true: because Christ has ascended to the Father to prepare a place for us, we have hope of eternal life with Him in heaven.
Exalted at the right hand of the Father, Christ intercedes for us with the Father. He is our eternal High Priest, our Mediator with the Father. As the letter to the Hebrews says: He always lives to make intercession for them (7:25). He communicates to us His Body, the Church, the grace and strength to live in Him. Because of Christ's intercession with the Father, we are able to grow in holiness.
Jesus is present to us in His word and in the sacraments. Jesus is visibly present in the Church in "a sacramental manner." We think especially of His presence in the Holy Eucharist. In the Eucharist, we participate in the new life of Christ's Body glorified by the Spirit. Christ's holy Body and Blood is our food on our journey to the Father's house.
Another important truth about the mystery of the Ascension concerns our own journey to the Father's house. There, Jesus said, He has gone to prepare a place for us. He waits for us. When He ascended into heaven, Jesus took our humanity to God and He opened the path for us to heavenly glory. He united humanity with God forever.
As we meditate on the mystery of Our Lord's Ascension, we also remember His words to the disciples immediately before His Ascension. He not only promises the Holy Spirit, He commands the disciples to go forth as missionaries to the world. He gives them the charge of evangelization. He then gives them the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this mission.
The Ascension does not point to Jesus' absence, but tells us that He is alive in our midst in a new way. He is no longer in a specific place in the world as He was before the Ascension. He is now in the lordship of God, present in every space and time, close to each one of us. In our life we are never alone: we have this Advocate who awaits us, who defends us. We are never alone: the Crucified and Risen Lord guides us. We have with us a multitude of brothers and sisters who, in silence and concealment, in their family life and at work, in their problems and hardships, in their joys and hopes, live faith daily and together with us bring the world the lordship of God's love, in the Risen Jesus Christ, ascended into Heaven, our own Advocate who pleads for us.
Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.
ST. ANNE'S MEDITATION GROUP will resume meeting physically inside the church sanctuary every Tuesday at 7:00PM.
Please join us for some silence, stillness and simplicity in the presence of God! Come a little earlier to settle down!
The current Acolyte Coordinator will be moving in the summer, so a replacement is needed. Could you be the new Coordinator? The role involves asking the Acolytes the dates and times they are available to serve, putting those into a rota and then sharing it with the Acolytes and the Church. Due to COVID, we are also washing the used robes at a laundromat after each Mass.
The role is a very easy way to serve the St. Anne's Community. If you're interested, please email Kym Kettler at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.
Would your child like to serve at Mass? We are in need of new servers.
We train all acolytes before their first Mass, and both the Priest and the other acolytes will help them during the service. Many children find serving at Mass far more engaging and meaningful than attending in the pews.
We set up the Acolyte Schedule based on your availability. Your child is not expected to serve every week--only when they are available.
Please contact Kym Kettler-Paddock at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if your child might be interested or if you have any questions.
Following Christ is not complicated. In fact, today Jesus reduces the essence of what it means to be his follower into one sentence.
This sentence is his New Commandment, a commandment that summarizes everything he has taught: "Love one another as I have loved you." If we do that, we are on Christ's path, and we will experience the joy and meaning that only God can give.
And to make it even simpler (because he knows that we tend to complicate things unnecessarily), Jesus explains exactly what he means by the word "love," a word the Devil is always trying to distort: "A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends."
In other words, love is self-giving, and so, the greater the self-giving, the greater the love. When we put our lives at the service of others, when we live in order to give and not to take, when we are willing to suffer so that someone else can rejoice, then we may call ourselves his disciples.
But Jesus went even further in order to make sure we would understand. He didn't explain the meaning of true love just with words; he also explained it with his deeds, with his own suffering and death.
He accepted mockery, humiliation, torture, rejection, injustice, misunderstanding, betrayal, and finally death, not because he was too weak to resist, but to show us what love really is: self-giving, self-forgetful generosity.
Jesus Christ hanging on the cross; bearing the weight of our sins; thinking not of himself but of the men and women he came to save, even pleading for their forgiveness up until the very end; giving without counting the cost, even without asking for something in return - this is God's idea of love. It is ours?
Turning Our Work into Love
This idea of true love (self-giving, not self-getting), helps explain the Church's vision of work. Popular culture encourages us to live for the weekend. It often sees work as a necessary evil.
But Christ's perspective is different. The Church teaches us that there is dignity in human work. From manual labor, to study, to the fine arts, human work "honor's the Creator's gifts" and "prolongs the work of creation" (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2427). By our work, we also "contribute to the abundance that will benefit all" (Catechism #2429).
In other words, from God's perspective, the very work we engage in on a daily basis can be an expression of our Christian love.
Working hard, if our heart is in the right place, is one of the most basic ways that we can love God. Working long hours purely out of self-centered ambition or greed is not showing love for God. But pouring our time and energy into improving the world and making a living for ourselves and our loved ones is a beautiful form of self-giving.
Jesus did that for almost thirty years, as he worked in the carpenter's shop in Nazareth, sweating and exhausting himself day after day. Mary did it for even longer, as she took care of the household, cooking and cleaning and reaching out to her neighbors.
We don't have to enter a monastery to become experts in Christian love. We just have to exercise our faith, so that God's idea of love becomes our idea of love. That's the path to true wisdom and lasting joy.
Today, as Jesus renews his commitment to us in this Mass, let's promise that we will let him give this meaning to our labors this week, by doing our very best in all we do, for God's sake.
Jesus came as a Shepherd. He came to care for us and to lead us gently, as a shepherd leads His sheep. He is our Good Shepherd. He is the Shepherd for each of us. He came to lead us to life. He came to call us by name. He came to bring us home to eternal pastures.
If Jesus is my Shepherd, then I am a sheep in the flock of Jesus. Jesus knows me. He calls me by name. I know His voice. Jesus seeks me out when I am lost. Jesus places me tenderly on His shoulders. Jesus invites me back to the flock when I go astray. Jesus guides me gently to where is best for me. He wants to carry us gently and lead us lovingly, that we may have life. He tells us, "A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).
Having life more abundantly is not about having more glamorous clothes or taking expensive vacations. It is not about having a more stylish house or a greater variety of entertainment. Having life and having it more abundantly is truly living. It is living deeply. It is living to the full. It is seeking the things that bring us life and that bring life to other people. It is knowing God's love for me and loving others in return. This is eternal life. This is heaven. Totally receiving God's love and sharing this love with all of humanity. Jesus gives us this life. It begins already, here and now, as members of the flock of the Good Shepherd.
Jesus not only gathers each of us as individuals, He gathers us together as a flock. Jesus does not save us individually, one-by-one. He saves us together. He comes to give us life together. He not only relates to each of us personally, He is also in the midst of us, uniting us as one, bringing us together, and leading us forward together. Life in abundance is not just each of us enjoying him or herself in the comfort of his or her own solitude. Life in abundance is not just being left unbothered by my neighbor. Life in abundance means coming together as brothers and sisters. It means sharing with others the life that we receive. It means rejoicing in one another. It means seeing each other as a gift. It is taking the time to encounter one another, even in little ways. Taking a moment for an unexpected conversation instead of wishing you were left undisturbed. Smiling at someone who looks down. Writing to a family member or friend. Volunteering to help people in need. All of these bring us together as a flock. All of these show us that we are not alone. Even through simple gestures, we can show others that they are not alone either.
Jesus continues His work of being our Good Shepherd through His Church. This is an important but often difficult message in our world today. It does not mean that the Church shepherds us perfectly. Jesus alone is the Good Shepherd. But He uses His Church to try and lead us through life in this world. He does not save us individually but together. We do not live our faith in isolation. Jesus does not just relate to us individually in a vacuum. We are not lone sheep in the world. We are members of a flock. We belong to one another, and together we belong to Christ. We are sometimes scattered, divided, but Jesus seeks to bring us together, to unite us in one fold. He wants to bring all of humanity together and He uses us as instruments of this peace and unity.
Jesus' image of the Good Shepherd reveals to us who He is, for each of us and for all of us together. It also shows us how He is at work in the world, bringing us to Himself and uniting us together. Through this beautiful image that He gives us, may we see how Jesus brings us close to Himself, and learn from Him how to come closer together with our fellow sheep, as members of His fold.
Prayer: Lord, I thank You for Your unwavering support of me as my Shepherd. And I thank You for those who act as Your instruments of this deep love and commitment. Help me to fulfill my role of shepherding Your people, the people You have placed in my life. May I never run from the glorious responsibility You have called me to. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.
Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.
All of us are here today because we love Jesus Christ and we want to follow him more and more closely. In other words, there is still a gap between the kind of Catholic we would like to be, and the kind of Catholic we actually are.
We know that a follower of Christ should be patient, self-controlled, faithful, generous, and kind. And we also know that although we follow that recipe sometimes, many other times we don't. In the face of this contrast between the desire of our hearts and the reality of our daily lives, we can be tempted to frustration.
But today the Church is giving us an antidote to that frustration in the example of St Paul. In today's First Reading, St Paul shows up in Jerusalem three years after his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. He has been believing in and following Christ for three years already. And yet, he arrives in Jerusalem, and what happens?
His bold and abrasive personality gets him in trouble right away. He shows up full of faith and love for Christ, overflowing with zeal and sincerity. But his old violent and intimidating temperament hasn't gone away.
In a matter of days, he instills deep fear in the Christians, and he infuriates the Jews so much that they start plotting to kill him! Things are so bad, in fact, that he has to be sent away to Tarsus, his home town, 500 miles away! And notice what happens as soon as he's gone; St Luke writes: "The Church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace."
The great St Paul didn't become a saint overnight - it took time for God's grace to transform him, and it takes time for God's grace to transform us, too.
Doing Our Part through Daily Prayer
We are all like St Paul, full of rough edges that God is gradually polishing down. If we become impatient, we will only get in his way, and we may even give up on him altogether. But being patient doesn't mean we just sit around and twiddle our thumbs.
Jesus makes it clear in today's Gospel that we have to do our part in order for our lives to bear the fruit he wants them to bear. And one key way to do that is prayer.
Prayer is a great privilege. The Lord of the universe, our Creator and Redeemer, is online 24/7, always watching over us and listening for when we call out to him. Whenever we send him a message, he reads it right away and answers by sending an attachment of grace into our hearts.
Daily, personal prayer is the bridge that turns our Catholic talk into a powerful Catholic walk. Daily, personal prayer is the heart of our relationship with Christ, a bridge that links our knowledge of Jesus with our day-to-day actions. Jesus passionately wants us to become mature men and women of prayer.
This is really what he means when he says in today's Gospel: "I am the vine and you are the branches... Remain in me... because without me you can do nothing."
Today, let's ask ourselves what we can do to improve our prayer life this week: Maybe it's taking a few minutes to pray a decade or two of the Rosary while we're driving to work. Maybe it's getting up ten minutes earlier so as to be able to spend some quiet time alone with God before the hustle and bustle sweeps us away.
During this Mass, through the sacrifice of the Eucharist, Jesus, the vine, will renew his commitment to transform our lives, as he transformed St Paul's. When he does, let's renew our commitment to be faithful branches, by making prayer a real priority.
A living encounter with the Risen Christ, is the encounter which gives life a new horizon. This new horizon, the life of communion with God, that is opened up by faith. Therefore, it is God himself who opens the door of faith. St John's gospel adds an essential element to this: the door is not only opened by God but by the Good Shepherd, who is recognized because he comes through the door, and is himself the door (cf. Jn 10:2-10). From this viewpoint, Christ is the Door because he leads us to the full, eternal life that is given by God the Father. Faith commits and involves life precisely because it gives life, a life that will never end. This is why to enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime. Faith to be a recovery of the strong connection between faith and life. Faith is not alive today because people no longer realize that it is essential to life; they do not recognize it as a meaningful factor in their own lives.
Faith, to show the world that all this is not just ceremonies and words, but a divine reality, by presenting to mankind the testimony of an ordinary life which is made holy, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and of holy Mary. Sanctifying daily life is possible precisely because of faith, and it means the same as living by faith and having a living faith, with explicit reference to St Paul's teaching in Gal 3:11 – "the just man lives by faith."
In other words, to live, one must have some kind of faith, because one inevitably chooses to give a meaning to one's life. Christianity cannot be limited to deeds; nor can man achieve salvation by human virtue or his own effort. It is clearly stated that the act of belief is not limited to the intellect, to the simple acceptance of a number of truths that have little to do with life; on the contrary, the act of belief is shown in the believer's very life, because faith bestows supernatural life and enables us to think according to "the logic of God" – God's way of reasoning. We then connect everything to Christ and establish a personal relationship with him. You don't have living faith if you aren't giving yourself to Jesus here and now.
When faith is really alive in the soul, one discovers instead that to follow Christ one does not have to step aside from the ordinary pattern of everyday life, and also that the great holiness which God expects of us is to be found here and now in the little things of each day.
The solemn proclamation of the universal call to holiness is seen, then, as a deepening in the faith as a new criterion of understanding and action that changes the whole of man's life, since it is born of our encounter with Christ in everyday life. The reduction of the faith to a mere sociological tradition, separating it from real life, goes hand in hand with a reduction of its remit to the sphere of extraordinary, abnormal things. By contrast, accepting the universal call to holiness means giving new life to our own faith in order to open ourselves up to God who is close at hand. Though we do not perceive him with our senses, his existence is far more true than any of the realities which we touch and see. God is here with us, really present, living. He sees and hears us, he guides us, and knows our smallest deeds, our most hidden intentions.
Faith needs to be something alive, because Christ is not a figure from the past, a memory, or a tradition. He is alive today and now. And living by faith means, essentially, being on intimate terms with him, talking to him as a friend, developing a personal relationship with him. This teaching links our faith directly to man's deepest desires. It does not deny or suppress but satisfies the inmost secrets of the heart. Our faith does not ignore anything on this earth that is beautiful, noble, and authentically human.
Practice your faith cheerfully, keeping very close to Jesus Christ. Really love him – but really, really love him! – and you will take part in a great Adventure of Love, because you will be more in love each day. The human heart asks for a real forever. Nietzsche wrote that "all joy wants eternity." But it is doomed to disillusion unless, in the loves of this earth, in the desires of his heart, man can recognize a path leading, like a river to its source, to God's Love, to Christ, the Love of loves.
Men lie when they say 'for ever' about things on earth. The only true, totally true 'for ever' is that which we say with reference to God. This is how you ought to live your life, with a faith that will help you to taste the honey, the sweetness of heaven whenever you think about eternal life which is indeed 'for ever'.
Faith was of something that speaks to life, to people's loves. The universal call to holiness is based on the conviction of God's nearness to our individual lives, where our hopes and desires are. Passionately loving the world is possible by means of faith, by deepening in our faith.
Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.
Jesus Christ was sent to the Jewish people, to be their Messiah in accordance with God's ancient promises to his Chosen People.
Yet, God was not satisfied to save only one people; he wants his blessing to reach all nations, every corner of the earth. This is why Jesus says, "I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold; these also I must lead..." Christ the Savior, then, has received lordship not only over the little flock of Israel and Judah, but over all the flocks of the earth.
In him we all come under one lordship, that of the good shepherd, who is the one pastor of the one flock. The effect of the wolf, the devil, is to catch and scatter the sheep; Christ frees and unites us.
And even if the wolf attacks the shepherd himself, as he did in Christ's passion, the shepherd has the power both to lay down and raise up his life, so the one flock will never perish. Because Christ the good shepherd is our Lord, the Church, the one flock, will never fail. Our membership in this flock is perhaps the greatest gift we have received from the Lord after the gift of life itself.
This is one of the most compelling reasons behind the Church's missionary mandate. We are all called to spread the good news of Christ, and to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19), bringing everyone into this one flock. Only the Catholic Church has been given the divine guarantee that it will never fail, never be permanently scattered and destroyed by wolves.
Other Churches and other religions may have sincere believers and parts of the truth, but only Christ's one flock gathered around his visible shepherd's staff - the pope - is guaranteed never to fail.
Three Ways to Increase the Flock
There are three things we can do to help increase the size of Christ's one flock, to help other lost sheep come under the care of the one good shepherd. They are the three Ways.
First, the way we treat other people. We are sons and daughters of Christ the King. And so, our manner, our way of holding ourselves, should be full of dignity, generosity, openness, elegance, and joy.
If we let God's grace work in our hearts, it will shine through our eyes, our words, our gestures, and we will become living advertisements for our eternal good shepherd.
Second, our work. Whatever we do - job, study, hobby, housework, sports - we, as followers of Christ, should stand out for our responsibility, dependability, and commitment to excellence and integrity.
We are children of God! We are ambassadors of the Creator of the universe! How could we ever let sloppiness, laziness, and indifference contaminate our daily activities?
Third, our words. Like Peter in today's First Reading, we should always be ready to use our words to spread truth, hope, and encouragement, to light or feed the fire of faith in the hearts of those around us. As Catholics, there is no room in our lives for gossip, useless tale-bearing, or biting and wounding criticism.
In the Eucharist, we receive Jesus Christ himself in our mouths; what a tragic, painful irony it would be if that same mouth were to go out and spit poison at those around us!
We are graced to be members of Christ's one flock, his Catholic Church. As Jesus renews his commitment to us in this holy Mass, let's thank him for that grace, and let's promise that this week we'll try not to hog it all to ourselves.
Carmelites are devoted to Mary, seeking the Face of God, through prayer, fraternity, and ministry.
Carmelite Charism
The Carmelites' official name in the Church is the Brothers of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. It is a long name, and the only Order in the Church named after a historically significant mountain range, Mount Carmel. The brothers who were living on Mount Carmel knew that it was known to be the land that Elijah proclaimed the one true God. The God who brought them out of the desert and gave them a home.
As a religious order in the Catholic Church, the Carmelite friars follow Christ and look to live out a life of allegiance to God by offering God a pure heart and a stout conscience. Jesus, the son of God, is our Lord and example of how to live in this world with our fellow brothers and sisters. It is Jesus we owe our allegiance, and Elijah and Mary that provide us wonderful examples of people who heard the voice of God and responded generously. The official words that describe the relationship we have with Elijah and Mary can be found in the Carmelite Constitutions of 1995.
A Call to Prayer
A vocation to Carmel also includes the call to prayer and contemplation, to seek Christ in solitude, and to discover him in each brother and sister, in each event of one's daily life. Like the prophet Elijah, the Carmelite strives to live each moment in the presence of the living God. Like the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Carmelite aims always to keep God's word, pondering it in his heart. Like St. Teresa of Jesus, he sees prayer as "an intimate sharing between friends," as "taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us."When God gives the gift of a vocation, this gift comes with a mission. The mission of the Discalced Carmelite friar has several aspects.
The first responsibility of the Carmelite is to give witness to God who is experienced in the silence and solitude of prayer. As St. Teresa of Jesus states: This is the reason for prayer…. the birth always of good works, good works. St. Teresa also urges Carmelites to teach by works rather than by words.
Could You, Too, Find a Home in Carmel?
Christians believe that God calls all people to a life of holiness, that is, a life in relationship with God and with others. This 'vocation' or calling can take different forms. Some are called to religious life and possibly also the priesthood. Others are called to marriage or some other form of commitment. Others still are called to the single life. Some people are called by God to join religious families, such as the Carmelite Family, as either religious (friars, nuns, sisters, hermits) or as lay people.
To learn more about vocations to Lay Carmel please visit https://www.ocarm.org/en/ or https://carmelite.org/laycarmel. For other vocations, including nuns and sisters, please visit https://www.carmelitefriars.org or https://carmelnet.org/
Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.
Jesus' favorite word after his resurrection is "peace." It is almost always the first word on his lips when he appears to his apostles, as in the passage we just listened to: "Peace be with you."
Every time we celebrate Mass, we hear these same words, spoken to us in the here-and-now of our lives, right before we receive the living, resurrected body and blood of our Lord in Holy Communion: "Lord Jesus Christ," the priest says, "you said to your apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I give you."
He didn't give this peace before his resurrection, but afterwards he does give it, and he gives it because we need it. Christ's peace is the antidote to most endemic diseases of modern, secular society: stress, depression, and anxiety.
We have all been affected by those diseases. As our friendship with the resurrected Lord grows deeper, we are gradually healed of those diseases, because he brings us his three-fold peace.
First, peace for our mind. When we look at his wounds, which he still bears in his glorified body, we know for certain that his forgiveness is everlasting; once he forgives our sins, we are truly forgiven; our conscience can be at rest.
Second, peace for our heart. When we see the spike marks in his hands and feet, we know for certain that we are loved with an undying, unconditional, personal, determined love - Christ's love.
Third, peace for our soul. Christ is alive, and he is ruling and expanding an everlasting Kingdom, and he has invited each one of us to help him do that by building up the Church. We have work to do that matters, that is worthwhile, that will satisfy our thirst for meaning.
The peace of the resurrected Christ is what we really need. The Psalmist put it well: "As soon as I lie down, I fall peacefully asleep, for you alone, O LORD, bring security to my dwelling.
Removing the Main Obstacle to Peace
We all want to experience this peace more deeply - peace of mind, heart, and soul. And Christ wants the same thing - that's why he suffered, died, and rose.
But if that's so, why do we still find ourselves so easily overrun by stress, anxiety, and discouragement? Many obstacles can inhibit the flow of Christ's peace in our lives.
The most obvious one is sin. Sometimes we fall into sin out of weakness. Those falls are easy to confess and repent of.
But other times we allow subtle habits of sin to take root in our lives. For example, we refuse to accept some part of Church teaching on faith or morals - like Christ's real presence in the Eucharist, abortion, or gay marriage.
Sure, we find plenty of reasons to justify this resistance - all the arguments we hear on the news, for instance. But at heart, to reject official Church teaching on these issues (which we find in the Catechism), is to reject Christ's saving truth. It's like telling God that we trust him a little bit, in some things, but we trust social media more in other things.
Subtle habits of sin can also take other forms: like slacking off in our life responsibilities - just doing enough to get by, but not really giving our best; or wasting inordinate amounts of time on hobbies, entertainment, or gossip.
Sinful habits can also take not-so-subtle forms, as financial corruption and pornography statistics make clear.
If we are not experiencing the peace of Christ's resurrected life a little bit more each season, maybe we need to do some spring cleaning in our souls.
For that, the best disinfectant is confession. As Christ renews his hope in us during this Mass, let's renew our hope in him too, and ask for the grace to receive his peace.
St. Anne's Church
1 Tung Tau Wan Road
Stanley, Hong Kong
Office Hours:
Sunday 8:30-1:30
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