"HE WAS LIFTED UP". Those four words give all of us HOPE, we all need to be LIFTED UP. Our attachments to this world are at times heavy like chains. Jesus encourages us to look up. As HE is being LIFTED UP TO HEAVEN, he gives us the HOPE that we too can be LIFTED UP and be with HIM in HEAVEN. This is Our Lord's PROMISE of the Coming of the Holy Spirit to transform us and lift us up. This is what the ASCENCION OF THE LORD is all about. Every year at this time we hear the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:1-11) narrating the ASCENCION OF THE LORD, the amazing event that took place 40 DAYS after the Lord's RESURRECTION. Jesus invites the APOSTLES to stay in Jerusalem and WAIT FOR THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER. He announces that "In a few days you will be BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT ...You will RECEIVE POWER when the HOLY SPIRIT COMES UPON YOU and you will be my witnesses". This is PENTECOST, which we will celebrate next week... Do we want to be lifted up? We do not have to await our departing from this world. We can be lifted up today. Heaven begins right here right now on earth. Jesus promised to His Apostles that He will not leave them alone. He was going to leave this world, but He was not going to abandon them. They will never be alone. He will send them an Advocate, the Paraclete, THE HOLY SPIRIT, the Spirit of Truth who will GUIDE them (John 16:12-15). At OLHOC, we are still glowing in the JOY of...

I got a large number of comments/suggestions on last week's column's "Eucharistic Miracle at OLHOC". In my 10 years at OLHOC, I do not recall any other "unplanned" event that received so much attention and created so much excitement. I simply want today to reflect on where we are and where the Holy Spirit is leading us. For me, the main lesson so far of the Eucharistic Miracle at OLHOC is that it has helped UNITE OUR PARISH IN FOCUSING ON THE EUCHARIST in ways we had not experienced before and I pray that it will continue to do so for many many more years! My motto over the last 10 years has been and remains...