“The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.”

This excerpt from Matthew’s Gospel has become a catchphrase in the modern Church. We give ourselves vertigo with the amount of head-shaking we do over the much-lamented “decline in numbers.”

This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ-Corpus Christi, as it was once known.

From the gospel of John, which we hear this weekend, Jesus tells us: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven...Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day."

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. We are definitely a Trinitarian Church: we make the sign of the cross, we bless, we baptize, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; in other words, the Holy Trinity is in our DNA as Catholics.

Last week we celebrated the coming of the Holy Spirit; about eight weeks ago we celebrated the resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ; and today the readings talk to us about the love of God the Father, “for God so loved the world…”

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

May the peace of the Risen Lord, Jesus, be with you!

As we welcome the month of May, the month dedicated to the Blessed Mother, we turn to her as Mother of the Lord, the Mother of the Son of God, and ask her for her powerful intercession. Under the popular titles of Our Lady of Peace and Our Lady of the Rosary, we turn to her during these troubling times for protection and for the grace of conversion of mind and heart.

The Ascension of the Lord recalls how Jesus ascended to heaven forty days after his glorious resurrection. The mystery has more to it than a mere remembrance of an event. Our Lord’s Ascension invites us to reflect on those forty days He spent with his disciples before ascending to heaven.

Upon starting his mission of leading God’s people, Moses spent forty days on Mount Horeb. It was a time of preparation for receiving God’s Law. Before His ascension into heaven Jesus prepares his disciples to continue his mission. He could have ascended when he rose from the dead, but he chose to spend time with his disciples.

As we reflect on this Sunday’s Gospel from John, we hear Jesus speak with tenderness: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” These words are not meant as a burden, but as an invitation to live in relationship with Him through love expressed in our daily actions.

In our Catholic school community, we see this Gospel lived out each day in simple yet meaningful ways. When our students choose kindness over cruelty, honesty over shortcuts, and service over self -interest, they are responding to Christ’s call. They are learning that love is not just a feeling, but a commitment expressed through action.

We commonly hear this Gospel reading at funerals, as it reminds us of Jesus’ promise to prepare a place for us for the time when we go to Him.

In truth, while it certainly serves as a reminder, it is meant more for all of us—urging us to remain attentive—for, much like Thomas, we too harbor certain questions as we walk our journey of faith. Jesus is clear and concrete in reminding us that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; and that the dwelling place He is preparing for us in the Father’s house can be reached only through Him.