News & Events
Ascension Sunday
Posted in News
17th May 2026
Gospel: Mt. 28, 16 – 20
The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
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Homily
As many of you know, my eldest brother died recently. During the homily at his burial Mass, I said “He was not only my brother but my friend” I miss him very much. This Easter though as I celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus, it has suddenly struck me that belief in the resurrection of Jesus also forces me to believe that he, my brother is alive, in a different way but he is alive and is still my brother and my friend. I call his widow from time to time to see how she is doing. The mantra is the same on every occasion. She says to me, “I feel his presence in the house, I hear his footsteps and his laugh. I know that he is here but how I miss his presence alongside me. This is the story of many widows and widowers whose marriage was truly happy. Nothing and no one can replace the one who has died. In such a situation, death is not the end, it is a departure and the beginning of a new and at times more powerful relationship.
Departures, as painful as they may be, allow us to experience the presence of loved ones in different ways. After the pain of parting, we experience in new ways, without the irritations caused by character differences, habits which affect us negatively, physical faults etc. those whom we love and are absent from us. The saying; “absence makes the heart grow fonder has a lot of truth to it. We can appreciate the loved one in a more perfect way, that is why we only really appreciate what others are for us when they are no longer with us. Absence gives us something which presence cannot give. Physical absence brings on presence in a new and different way. It is a presence which inspires and strengthens and gives us the impulse to do great things because of the one who is loved but is no longer present physically. That is why people have built monuments to honour parents and loved ones. That is why spouses so often continue the work begun by the other be it in politics, social work or industry and say “He/She would want me to finish it.
This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension. Pope St. Leo the Great, meditating on this event in the life of Jesus, tells us; “For the Son of man, dearly beloved, was revealed more perfectly and more solemnly as the Son of God once he had returned to the glory of his Father’s majesty, and in a mysterious way he began to be more present to them in his godhead once he had become more distant in his humanity.” That is why Jesus, in the Gospel of St. John tells his disciples; “It is good for you that I go because if I don’t go the Spirit cannot come to you. The Spirit, the new presence of Jesus would move the disciples to undertake and be successful at the seemingly impossible. The building of the Kingdom would be their goal; they would give their lives for this, and they would encourage others to join them in this undertaking. They would take seriously the words of Jesus; “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” These formerly cowardly disciples would do this because of the presence of Jesus with them; “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” This has been the experience of the church down through the ages. I remember 58 years ago, as a young sub-deacon assisting at the episcopal ordination of the first local archbishop of Port of Spain, Anthony Pantin. He was young, just 38 years old. I wondered how he must have felt before the enormity of the task before him. Many years later as I was entering the cathedral for my own episcopal ordination, I had to struggle to hold back the tears as the weight which I was asked to bear hit me. I remembered the motto that I had chosen, “Do this in my memory” It hit me that this motto was not simply about the Eucharist, It was and is about the very life of Jesus. I had to remember that the presence of Jesus to and in his disciples had inspired them to his imitation and to do great and glorious things. This presence has inspired and strengthened martyrs. This presence has inspired and strengthened saints like Francis, who got off his horse to embrace the leper; St. Damian of Molokai who dedicated himself to the care of lepers, finally becoming one with them himself; Saint Teresa of Calcutta giving herself to those dying abandoned on the streets, Mons. Romero facing the dictatorship in El Salvador and Saint John Paul II, who forgave the one who attempted to assassinate him. This is a situation which each one of us faces in life; whether it is the beginning of married life, or starting a profession or going on the missions, or professing final vows. We all face situations in which our accustomed defense mechanisms are useless, and we feel alone before the enormity of what faces us. As we live my dear brothers, I cannot repeat it enough, It is the same presence of Jesus with us. This presence must inspire us all my dear brothers to do the work that you are called by Christ to do, looking after the poorest of the poor. This presence strengthens each one of us to do what the risen Christ asks of us, whether it be as parents called to forgive an errant son or daughter. This presence strengthens us to fight against some habitual sin and conquer it. It is this presence which in the difficult moments assures us of the love of the Father. It is this presence which enables us as it did St. Damian and others to do the difficult things for Christ. It is this presence my dear brothers which my dear brothers which will help us to create and build an Institute after the mind and example of Jesus. My dear friends and brothers may we always be aware of this presence in our lives; may we always come to that presence; and above all, may we always be thankful. May this presence lead us one day to the joys of eternal life as we are reunited with our loved ones and with Christ.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, your Son Jesus left us so that he could be with us in a new and deeper way. Help us to appreciate his presence with us so that we may be empowered to do the great and beautiful things which You expect of us. We ask this through the intercession of Mary, our mother, and your Son Jesus. Amen
