A Pastoral Message: Three liturgical events remind us that God is not far away

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Dear Friends in Christ:

June brings us to a beautiful place on our faith journey, with three liturgical celebrations that offer rich theological insights into the presence of God in our lives. 

This Sunday we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. It must have pierced the hearts of the disciples that the Lord who had just resurrected was now leaving them. Only after Pentecost would they fully understand. Had he stayed with them in person, they would have always expected him to make the important decisions for the Church.  But by his ascension to Heaven, Jesus teaches that each one of us, with our distinctive charisms and roles, are his stewards of the Church.     

At Pentecost, God made himself present to them by the Holy Spirit.  Jesus had promised along the way, “…it is better for you that I go…but when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.” (Jn. 16:7, 13).  In a sense, the Ascension and Pentecost are God’s way of empowering us to not only be the Church but to lead the Church with lives of faith and truth. 

June 22, we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.  I can’t help but marvel at the words of Jesus that still ring true today when he said to his disciples, “I am leaving you, but I will come back to you (Jn. 14:18).  On this great solemnity we recognize the God of history, who in so many ways is beyond our grasp, comes into our presence in ways that we can grasp – consecrated bread and wine which become the Body and Blood of Jesus. 

These three liturgical events remind us that God is not far away – he is near to us and wants to live our lives with us in a real way.  With this great gift, we remain ever grateful for the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, upholding the gift of life given and sustained by the presence of the Holy Spirit and the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.  We must keep vigilant in ensuring that the most vulnerable among us, the unborn, are protected and that we continue walking with moms in need through our pastoral and material support. 

With these profound days of God’s presence, together, let us continue to pray for a new bishop.  May the Holy Spirit inspire Pope Leo XIV to choose a bishop after the heart of the Good Shepherd, Jesus, to lead this local church with kindly zeal and pastoral attentiveness.

I wish you all a blessed June!

Fr. James A. Misko,
Diocesan Administrator