The Joy No One Can Take

 Readings 051526

Ministry has its extremes.
Some days I am preparing couples for marriage,
baptizing babies,
teaching youth,
walking with people into new life in Christ.

These are the bright places—
the beginnings,
the births,
the moments when grace feels like sunlight.

And then there are the other days.
Funerals.
Grief.
Broken hearts.
The lonely rooms of the dying.
The quiet tears of those who feel forgotten.

But in the middle of all of it—
God gives me these holy moments:
the children after school Mass
who run up just to hug me,
the elderly disabled veteran in the nursing home
who whispers, “I love you, Deacon… thank you for visiting me.”

And in those moments,
I hear the Lord say:
“Do not be afraid.
Go on speaking, and do not be silent,
for I am with you.”
“I will see you again,
and your hearts will rejoice,
and no one will take your joy away from you.”

So do not let your life,
your joy,
be crushed by what you do for God.

Because what you do for the sake of Christ
reaches farther,
heals deeper,
and touches more souls
than you will ever know.

And the joy He gives—
no one can take from you.

Prayer

Lord Jesus,
steady my heart to be your witness

Lift my joy when I walk with new life,
hold me close in every sorrow.

Bless each hug,
each tear,
each whispered thank‑you.

Keep me faithful
to speak Your name
without fear.

And let Your presence
be the joy
no one can take away.

Amen

Love Lifted Up: The Ascension

 Readings 051426-Thursday & Readings 051426-Ascension

Today at the elementary school Mass, I spoke with the children about the Ascension.
And while the Church will celebrate the Solemnity this Sunday, today—forty days after Easter—is the true Feast of the Ascension, the day Jesus was lifted into glory.

When I speak to children, I always try to leave them with one message that never changes:
no matter what happens,
no matter how they feel about themselves,
no matter what anyone else says or thinks—
Jesus loves them.
Steady.
Constant.
Unshakable.

But that message isn’t only for children.
It is for us—grown hearts, tired hearts, hopeful hearts—just as much.

And the Ascension is yet another proof of that love.

Jesus rises—
not to leave us,
but to lift us with Him.
He ascends so that heaven is no longer far away,
but open,
near,
and waiting.

In His rising, Jesus gives us a truth that anchors every season of life:
the One who loves you has not gone anywhere.
The Christ who carried a cross now carries you.
The Lord who walked dusty roads now walks the roads of your heart.
The Savior who returned to the Father has not stepped back—
He has stepped ahead,
preparing a place,
interceding for you,
sending His Spirit to fill the spaces where fear once lived.

The Ascension is not absence.
It is presence multiplied.
It is Jesus saying,
“I am with you always—
in your work,
your wounds,
your waiting,
your becoming.”

So today, we place ourselves on that hillside with the disciples—
eyes lifted,
hearts unsure,
as everything changes in a single moment of glory.

And we let this truth settle deep:
Who loves you?
Jesus loves you—
from the throne of heaven
and from the quiet center of your soul.

Prayer

Lord Jesus,
lift my heart as You were lifted into glory.
Let Your nearness steady my steps today.
Walk the roads of my life with quiet mercy.
Fill the empty places with Your Spirit’s peace.
Hold me close in every rise and every fall.
Keep me rooted in the truth that You love me.
Amen.