At this Mass (in which we celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation for several young people), we witness the outpouring of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands and the prayer of the bishop. Jesus Christ imparted the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and it is through their successors that we receive the same Holy Spirit today.

The Ascension is not something that we celebrate in isolation. Rather, it is part of the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ. It is all connected: Jesus' Incarnation, his Passion and death, his Resurrection from the dead, his Ascension in glory, and Pentecost. So today's solemnity gives us an opportunity to reflect on what it is that we believe when we confess that we have been redeemed in Christ Jesus. Let us worship and adore our God, even as we hearken to his words to, "Go; teach all nations..."

There is a lot of joy and energy surrounding the Resurrection accounts. In the first few days and weeks of Easter, we hear another story about what happened on that morning or later on in the day when Jesus rose from the dead. Do we have that same joy today? Jesus Christ is Risen! Alleluia! This is the Good News that changes everything. Because of the Resurrection, we have forgiveness for our sins, we have been redeemed, and we have the promise of eternal life with God in heaven. May we proclaim the Resurrection with joy and great faith today.

Today's Gospel reading concerning "Doubting Thomas" gives us an opportunity to reflect on how we look at something that seems "too good to be true". Yes, we tend to be cynical and pessimistic, especially with all of the problems and difficulties we experience. However, we should not carry those attitudes over to our hope for the future. We should rather set our hearts on the greatest good (God, the Kingdom of Heaven), and everything else will fall into place. As Christians, we are bold enough to expect things like beauty, goodness, perfection, heaven.

In all three of the readings for today's liturgy, we receive a command to do something as a perpetual institution or action. God commands Moses and the Israelites to celebrate the Passover every year in commemoration of the Exodus. Jesus washes the feet of his disciples in the Gospel and tells them to wash each other's feet. St. Paul tells the Corinthians that he is handing on to them what he himself received from the Lord: the celebration of the Body and Blood of Christ. Then he says, "As often as you eat this Bread and drink this Cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again." Whereas the first two actions (Passover and the Washing of Feet) are actions that we replicate year after year, the Mass is much more than that. Through the power of the liturgy, Christ and his salvific action becomes truly present to us. God thirsts for our faith; the liturgy is God's way of satiating that divine thirst.

Today we gather to celebrate the Eucharist with almost all of the priests of the diocese, along with many deacons, religious, and lay faithful. Within the Mass the priests will renew their priestly promises, and we will bless the holy oils that will be used throughout the liturgical year. All of this should move us to reflect on the overwhelming generosity of God. As God is generous to us, so should we be generous to one another.

With today's liturgy we enter into Holy Week. This blessed week gives us the special opportunity to walk with Jesus the Way of the Cross, and to follow him in prayer through death to the Resurrection. As we do this, however, we ought to remember two things: First, we should not simply treat the events of Christ's Passion, death and Resurrection as "things of the past". In the liturgy these events -- which definitely occurred within time -- are made present to us TODAY. Secondly, we should not think of ourselves as "spectators" this week, as though we were simply watching Jesus do what he did for our salvation. We should rather see ourselves in the person of Christ. How can I be more obedient, humble, merciful, generous, and loving as Jesus?

With this liturgy we being the season of Lent.  The readings today are a call to action -- not so much to become even busier in our daily lives, rather to do what we need to do in order to focus more and more on God.  Through our acts of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, may we learn to turn away from sin and turn toward the Lord and his Gospel.

Jesus is tempted by the devil.  The Scripture readings today have much to teach us - specifically, about resisting temptation.  Whereas Eve and Adam gave in to the wiles of the Ancient Foe, Jesus stood up to the devil and said "No."  But he did more than that.  In his responses to the temptations, Jesus said "Yes" more and more emphatically to the Father and to His will.  This is the key for us: not only do we need to have the courage and strength to say "No" to sin and temptation, we must strive for perfection by saying "Yes" to all that God wants for us.  "...Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

In the Transfiguration, God reveals the glory of His Son for the disciples and for us all.  Not only does this help us to "see" who Jesus really is, it strengthens us during times of trial and difficulty.  What we see in the glory of Jesus Christ will be ours one day if we follow him.  May the words spoken in the Gospel today be directed to each one of us: "This is my beloved son/daughter, in whom I am well pleased."