The Ascension

Dear Friends in Christ,

On this Ascension Day we rejoice in the complete victory of Christ over death, the devil, and sin as He takes His place “at the right hand of the Father” in heaven. Every Christian has heaven as a goal, and we long to be with the Lord who loves us with an everlasting love.Still, He asks us to continue for a time on this earth.Here we have no lasting home, but we must suffer here for a time until He calls us from this life.

Many of us have doubts and anxieties about the future. Will we have enough water? Who will take care of us? Will we run out of money? I would like to share with you some thoughts of a fellow parishioner who has suffered the loss of her husband recently. The message is full of hope and confidence:

I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Fr. Hildebrand for the unbounded love and support he extended to me, my son Francis, and our family upon the sudden passing of my husband, Victor dela Torre. The prayers and friendship of Fr. Martin and the Norbertine priests at St. John the Baptist serve as an anchor during our time of loss and grief. I also thank the members of our prayer groups, the other church ministries my husband and I had been a part of, and all the beautiful parishioners of St. John’s who came to the services for my husband at the church, at home, and at the mortuary. My dear friends, your expressions of appreciation for all that Victor had been to you fill my heart with consolation and peace. Your faith and prayers hold me up to carry on – believing in God’s promise, “I will be with you always”, as my husband repeated to me four times (on) the day he died, to which he said I should always respond, “Jesus, I trust in You!”

On behalf of my son and our family, thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Zari dela Torre

What better motto for our life here on earth! We are all in His hands. When we are troubled or worried, like the apostles when Jesus ascended into heaven, Let’s not forget His promise, “I will be with you always” and respond with St. Faustina, “Jesus, I trust in you!”.

May God bless you all.