Today, it is wonderful to read that Jesus is bringing us peace--the gift of believing that all will be well. However, peace as Jesus speaks of it is the kind that "the world cannot give." It is a kind of peace that enables us to live in the present, through even the hardest difficulties and sufferings in our lives.

Some people would have us believe that peace is found on some mountaintop, either a spiritual one or a physical one. Others recommend a certain type of meditation or would have us assume certain physical postures for long periods of time.

Probably the greatest source of distress to any person, Christian or not, is the fact that everything dies. This suffering is such a universal experience, that it almost prevents us from understanding how Jesus can say, "Do not be afraid! Be at peace!" Is Jesus being naïve when he says these words? No. What Jesus knows that we do not know is the mind and the will of God, not to mention the heart of God. Since Jesus and the Father are one, only Jesus knows the amazing love that fills the mind, will, and heart of God at every moment.
 
The light of God is the love of God! There is no "perpetual perishing", no death or grieving or sorrow in God's mind, because every creature that God has loved into existence lives in the heart and memory of God forever. Jesus is the Light who reveals every treasure in the heart of God: no piece of a person's goodness or beauty will be lost; no virtues disappear in the mind of God.

This is also the mind and heart of Christ that we must put on to have ultimate peace. When we live our lives trying to see as God sees, then we will be at peace, no matter what the circumstances are in which we live. Be at Peace!
 
This Thursday, May 26th is Ascension Thursday, a holy day of obligation for all Catholics. Masses will be celebrated:

• Wednesday, 5:00 p.m. at St. Thomas More
• Thursday, 8:30 a.m. at St. John Capistran
• Thursday, 8:45 a.m. at St. Thomas More
• Thursday, 11:30 a.m. at St. Thomas More
• Thursday, 7:00 p.m. at St. John Capistran

Mission Co-Op:  One of the ways the Roman Catholic Church is deeply inspirational is through her missionary work. For millennia, the Church has sent forth innumerable Catholic missionaries to bring relief to the poor.

We serve women, children, and men of all races and religions. The Church pursues the poor and serves them
because poverty is painful. There is no other litmus test.
 
Missionary Cooperation Sunday is the weekend of June 4th and 5th. As with the past couple of years, because of restrictions, we will not host a missionary but instead will hear homily letter written by a missionary. This year our parish is supporting the Archdiocese of Delhi where, according to their Archbishop, “the Archdiocese has been devastated by two waves of Covid-19 and a countless number of parents have died, turning the care of their children to the elderly, sick and poor grandparents.”

Realizing that it has been a difficult few years for all of us, we can only imagine how difficult it has been for people who live in countries with no or very few safety nets. Please be as generous as possible through prayer and financial support in helping to offer the safety net that the Archdiocese is providing for the people of New Delhi, India.

Mission Co-Op, getting to know our sister-parish in the Archdiocese of Delhi…

Origin & History:
The Archdiocese of Delhi was once part of the Archdiocese of Agra (later the "Archdiocese of Delhi-Simla" in 1937) and was erected as a separate "Archdiocese of Delhi" in 1959 with just ten parishes spread over an area of 11,991 square kilometers. Being the capital of India, which has 1/6 of the population of the world, Delhi has grown rapidly over the years due to various factors like immigration, urbanization, technology, education, commerce, etc. At present the Archdiocese comprises of the Union Territory of Delhi and most of the State of Haryana. It has 70,750 Catholics, living in 64 parishes and
4 mission stations. The Archdiocese has 3 bishops, 138 priests, 548 religious sisters, 47 seminarians. There are 44,518,768 non-Christians here: Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Parsis, etc. Delhi has become the home of diverse religions and sects.
 
Challenges:
· To serve as a role model of faith and evangelization for India
· To serve the teeming millions of immigrants from around the country and abroad
· To sustain the faith of Catholics, buffeted by insurmountable challenges, due to religious intolerance
· To uphold moral and religious standards to the nation