Courage is the ability to rise above and beyond fear, anger, confusion, opposition, rejection and condemnation. Courage is rising above all that is negative and evil to live and speak the truth with love. In the Gospel for Mass this Sunday (Luke 9:51-62), it says that Jesus was “resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.” He knew He was going to be rejected and crucified for speaking and living the truth with love. But He was resolute - resolved to do what needed to be done to bring us salvation, to save us from our limitations, fears, incompleteness, stupidity, ignorance, and sinfulness. Without Jesus we are doomed to know only insecurity, incompleteness, confusion, and division within ourselves and division among one another. Abraham Lincoln said, “A house divided cannot stand.” It is the truth and only the truth that will set us free and illuminate the way to true peace and unity. Divisions are never healed or resolved with anger, vengeance, selfishness, hatred, apathy, or condemnation. Divisions are only healed when there is truth. Jesus clearly states He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)

Meals are a very important part of our lives. To be healthy we need to eat foods that are good for us. But as important as food is, even more importantly, we are nourished by those we eat our meals with. It is always joyful to gather at table to celebrate special events in our lives. Weddings, graduations, birthdays, and anniversaries are but a few of the reasons we gather. How good it is to gather each day to eat with those we live with. We share our lives, experiences, thoughts, needs, and hopes with them. It is the presence of those we love and who love us that makes our meals special and nourish far beyond the vitamins, minerals, and other positives in the food we consume bodily.

Last Sunday we celebrated Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the followers of Jesus and concluded our fifty day celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. There are many different ways to contemplate the Resurrection of Jesus. One of the thoughts that came to my mind as I was praying the rosary last Sunday and reflecting on the first Glorious Mystery, the Resurrection of Jesus, was that there are two very distinct things that happened. First of all He physically rose from the dead. He also rose above all that caused His death - the betrayal of Judas, the denials of Peter, and the abandonment of all the other apostles except St. John. And when He rose He came back to His followers. He did not rise and descend into human anger, vengeance, and disappointment. He rose to continue to do what He always did with His followers all during His three year public ministry - to assure them of HIs love, to raise them beyond their fears and doubts, and to enable them to look beyond the horror of Good Friday to the true meaning of Easter. The words of joy and hope that were expressed in the Preface at the Masses for Ascension Thursday open our minds and hearts to the wonder of Jesus’ love for us: “Mediator between God and man, judge of the world and Lord of hosts, he ascended not to distance himself from our lowly state but that we, his members, might be confident of following where he, our Head and Founder, has gone before.”

This past Monday we celebrated Memorial Day as a nation. I was privileged to be part of two celebrations here in Smithtown as I said prayers at the Smithtown Fire Department service at the fire house at 9:00am and then the prayers at the end of the parade on the steps of Town Hall. At a time when we have tension, division, and violence in our nation, it was refreshing to gather and give thanks for those who have served in our armed forces, those who serve in the Smithtown Fire Department, those who have given their lives for our nation. We have the freedoms we have and when we use them well good is accomplished.