Easter, Ascension of the Lord. God takes Jesus up into heaven and He prepares to send us a new gift: the Holy Spirit. We cannot see the Holy Spirit but we can see the effects of the Spirit. The Spirit is the Lord and giver of life; He produces the one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church; He gives us the Resurrection of the dead and life everlasting. Just like the Holy Spirit, mothers work in the background for the success of others. They often put in long and thankless hours so that others can succeed. Our mothers want what is best for us and we should perhaps listen a little more to what they say. We should also listen to the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who makes us fruitful, the Spirit who wants us to be fully alive, and the Spirit who prepares us to "get on the bus" when God the Father comes for each of us. Let us be grateful for mothers. Let us be grateful for the Holy Spirit.

(13 May 2013)