7th Sunday of Easter

The Ascension of the Lord

The Ascension of the Lord is celebrated forty days after Easter Sunday. It used to be called Ascension Thursday because the fortieth day falls on the Thursday of the sixth week of Easter. In the U.S. we transfer the Feast of the Ascension to the following Sunday, so it is celebrated on the seventh Sunday of Easter.

The number forty is a significant number in the Bible and Catholic tradition. It indicates a period of testing, transition, or preparation. For instance, Lent is a forty-day liturgical season, which prepares us for the Easter celebrations. Those forty days of Lent are based on the forty days Jesus spent in the desert, a time of testing and preparation for his public ministry. After the Resurrection, Jesus spends forty days with his disciples preparing them for a mission. Jesus appears to them, instructs them, and finally ordains them to go and preach the Gospel to every nation. Forty days after the Resurrection, Jesus ascends into Heaven. He goes into Heaven where He takes His place at the right hand of the Father. The Ascension of Jesus indicates the beginning of a new era for all believers since the disciples will be empowered with the Holy Spirit to preach the good news to all the world.

In the first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear the story of the Ascension of Jesus. The apostles witness this amazing event in confusion at the miracle, anticipation for the things to come, and disbelief because Jesus is going away: “[Jesus said to the disciples] you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.” Jesus ascended into Heaven, but He sends the Holy Spirit upon the apostles to empower them for their mission. The Holy Spirit will sanctify believers and empower Jesus’ followers to share the love of God to the rest of the world. This will be the beginning of the Church.

Class 0f 2025

This Saturday, May 31st, Fr. Rocky and I celebrated the graduation Mass for the SCL Class of 2025. I would like to congratulate the students and their families for this big accomplishment. They have worked so hard to get to this milestone. This year alone, we have seen their growth in all areas, academically, spiritually, emotionally, and socially. We are extremely proud of what they have achieved. I would like to thank the teachers for their dedication. They truly have made a difference in the lives of all the students at St. Catherine’s. Their hard work has paid off. It is such a blessing to see our students grow and move forward to high school. I would like to thank the parents for their support and sacrifices they have made to give them a Catholic education. You have been an exceptional example of family values and work ethic. Graduation is a celebration of their time at SCL school. It is not a conclusion of their time here because they are still part of our community. We will be praying for them as we wish them the best in high school and beyond.

Also, I would like to congratulate all other parishioners who have graduated from high school and college. I always hear great things about our parishioners in high school, college, or already in the work force. We love when they come back home on vacation or for the holidays. We are praying for them all.

SCL School

It is hard to believe the last day of school is this week, on June 5th. This academic year has flown by; it has been busy and challenging, but it has been such a blessing to be together. For 63 years, St. Catherine Labouré School has been the source of love and pride to so many. Although financial resources and low enrollment numbers will not allow us to continue with this part of the mission, we are thankful for all the blessings we have received through our school community. We celebrated the closing Mass last Friday. We gathered together before God with a sense of gratitude for the many experiences we had, the many people we met, the love we shared, and even the challenges that allowed us to grow. God has put us together in this particular time at this particular place. We were meant to be with each other and support one another. Just like the disciples after the Ascension of the Lord, I believe, we are called to go and proclaim the good news to the world with our words and actions. Our students will be going to different schools, but they will always have an emotional and spiritual connection through SCL. I would like to thank the teachers and staff. They did an amazing job helping the kids to be the best they can be. And thank you to all parishioners and friends who have supported the school for all these years. I am extremely grateful to everyone who gave their time, tal- ents, or treasure to the school. Our mission continues to reach out to others and bring them closer to the Lord.

Peace
Fr. Lara

Pope Leo XIV

"We must strive to be a missionary church. One that builds bridges. One that embraces dialogue and one that welcomes all with open arms."

Recognize God in Your Oridinary Moments - By Colleen Jurkiewicz Dorman

Mini Reflection:In today’s Gospel, Jesus prays for me. And for you. And for all the people who woke up this morning and headed to Mass because, while it’s true that God is everywhere, the Body and Blood of Jesus is only found in one place.

That the World May Believe
I love today’s Gospel because, in it, Jesus prays for me.

And you.

And the guy sitting next to you at Mass. And the priest, and the altar server, and all the people in all the churches in all the towns in all the world who woke up this morning and headed to Mass because, while it’s true that God is everywhere, the Body and Blood of Jesus is only found in one place.

And he prays for the barista who will sell you your coffee later today and see your crucifix and hear you say, “God bless,” and think, “That’s a weird necklace, and I don’t believe in God,” but who will one day, at her lowest point, wonder if anyone ever truly loved her, and remember the sight of that broken and bloodied Corpus.

Today, Jesus prays for the person you passed on the way into the parking lot this morning, the one who doesn’t go to Mass anymore but who always walks his dog on this street, on this morning, for reasons he can’t explain.

He prays for your great-great grandparents and your great-great grandchildren.

“Those who will believe in me through their word.” That’s me. That’s you. That’s us. We’re the ones who believe through the word of the Apostles, who bore witness to the life and death and Resurrection of the God-Man, Jesus Christ, and whose testimony to that life is an eternal flame illuminating the understanding of every human being who will ever say, “I believe.”

But if we listen to what Jesus says today, we must understand: it’s not just the Apostles’ job, and it’s not done. It’s not a book that is closed. It’s a mission that is alive and ongoing, and it’s as much ours as it was theirs: that the world may believe that you sent me.
©LPi

Honor Our Military

Please take time to give thanks for those who have served and are serving in our military and to pray for the safety of those who may currently be in harm’s way. In a special way, we thank and pray for these parishioners and relatives of parishioners.
Dear God,
We pray in gratitude for all of those who have defended peace, virtue, and justice with honor. We pray especially for those who have suffered in mind and body from the ravages of war. May Your peace reign in our hearts and in our world. Amen.

He Who Sacrificed His Life
†JOHN A. STONIS, Grandson of John & Dorthy Stonis
†CHRISTOPHER ZIMNY

Those Still Serving
CRAIG BEHRENDT, Grand-nephew of Sister Mary Helen
DANIEL BELZER, Nephew of Dave & Bev Belzer
RYAN BLOCHBERGER, Nephew of Mae Grady
JESSICA CAMERON, Niece of the Cameron Family
BRYAN DUFF, Son of Julie Duff
TIMOTHY DWORKIN, Grandson of Barbara Bouska
MICHAEL FOLEY
JOHN FOLEY
RYAN FONTILLAS
DANIEL FRAYNA
ALEXIS GONZALES, Great-niece of Eden & Lyle Gonzales-Nemzin
JOSEPH GULLO
MICHAEL T. HAHN, Grandson of John & Dorthy Stonis
SANG HOON LEE
MICHAEL KELLY, Nephew of Kevin and Kathy Kelly
JACK MAHON, JR., Son of Jack, Sr. & Eileen Mahon
JAY MARTIN, Nephew of Becky and Tom Brennan
MORRIS COREY MCMAHON, Son of Chris & Julie McMahon
PETER MULLER
MATTHEW NEUBAUER, Nephew of Dan & Judy Neubauer
ANTHONY PALMERO
JOHN PODCZASKI, Grandson of Genevieve Podczaski
NAILL SWIDER, Grand-nephew of Alice Swider
STEVEN TUMBARELLO, Son of Sylvia & Vince Tumbarello
EUGENE WALL, Nephew of Suzanne Lessner

To add or remove someone, please send the person’s name and relationship (optional) to bulletin@stcatherinelaboure.com

Please Pray for Ukraine

For our sisters and brothers involved in or affected by the war and devastation in Ukraine-- the deceased, the injured, the frightened, the displaced, the fighters, the protesters, the leaders. May God give them solace, healing, comfort, and hearts and minds directed toward peace.
Donations can be made here:

Knights of Columbus: https://www.kofc.org/secure/en/donate/ukraine.html

Caritas: https://www.caritas.org/

Ukrainian Catholic Archdiocese of Philidelphia: https://ukrarcheparchy.us

"May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war" - Pope Francis

Neighbors of other Faiths
The Golden Rule

Excerpted from charterforcompassion.org/the-golden-rule-in-seven-major-religions
We may speak of great differences in religious beliefs and forms of worship around the world. Called by an endless number of names, all, however, recognize and worship a Supreme Being. And all religions, somewhere in their sacred literature, expound the fundamental philosophy of the Golden Rule.

Buddhism: Hurt not others with that which pains yourself.
~ Buddha, Undanavarga 5:18

Christianity: Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that all men should do to you, do ye even so to them.
~ Matthew 7:12

Confucianism: What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.
~ Confucius, Analects 15:23

Hinduism: Good people proceed while considering what is best for others is best for themselves.
~ Hitopadesa

Islamism: No one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.
~ Mohammed, Traditions

Judaism: And thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
~ Leviticus 19:18

Zoroastrianism: Whatever is disagreeable to yourself do not do unto others.
~ Shayast-na-Shayast 13:29