Dear Friends,

What sets the rhythm for our lives?

If you’re like me, work is a significant factor. Maybe more than the professional commitment I have to running the OLMC/OLMC School franchise is my personal commitment to the life of our parish and school.

I wonder how many of you, even those of you without school-age children or grandchildren, would agree that the school year is a strong influence on the way you think about a year. So many people’s lives revolve around the September to June cycle that we’re all kind of sucked into it.

The one factor for me that remains stronger than school (although it’s a close competition) is the liturgical calendar. I live the seasons – Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, with Ordinary Time mixed in – and am formed by the seasons. I find that my conversations are informed by the liturgical seasons, and my mood often reflects the same.

Which all leads me to say that we are right to pay attention to liturgical seasons and the seasons’ special days. Ascension Thursday (this Thursday, the 30th) is one of those days, and we mark it with Masses on Thursday at 8:00am (a beautiful sung Mass with the kids), 12:00pm, and 7:30pm.

Jesus’ Ascension into heaven is akin to his entering earth’s control room. It is from heaven that Jesus sends the Holy Spirit, that he inspires and animates the lives of his faithful followers. Jesus’ Ascension allows him to be immediately present to his people on earth. Talk about reasons to rejoice – come join our celebration on Thursday!

In the Peace of our Risen Lord,
Father Daniel