Week of May 10, 2026

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

This weekend, we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. This mystery is sometimes misunderstood as Jesus leaving the world behind. But the Ascension is not abandonment. It is the exaltation of the crucified and risen Christ, who goes to his Father and our Father, his God and our God.

In Acts, the disciples are told not to stand looking into heaven, but to receive the Holy Spirit and become witnesses “to the ends of the earth.” In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus blesses his disciples as he is carried up into heaven, and they return to Jerusalem “with great joy.” Their joy shows that Christ’s presence has not ended. He remains with his Church through the Spirit, the Gospel, the sacraments, and the mission of his people.

This week, we also released a new video on St. Thomas Aquinas and the human natural desire for God. Aquinas helps us understand the restlessness of the human heart. Our longing for truth, goodness, beauty, and lasting joy is not a flaw. It is a sign that we are made for God. Created things can bless us, but they cannot finally satisfy the infinite desire within us.

The Ascension and this desire for God belong together. Christ ascends not to leave us alone, but to draw our hearts toward their true home. He sends the Spirit, purifies our desires, and teaches us to live with wonder, charity, and hope.
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The ascended Lord has not abandoned the world. He reigns, blesses, intercedes, and sends us forth. In him, our restless hearts are given hope: we are made for God, and Christ has opened the way home.

Peace,
Rev. Ben