Learning to be Quick to Listen

Catholic cemeteries hold a profound significance, serving as more than just burial grounds; they are tangible expressions of core Catholic beliefs. One crucial aspect is their role in memento mori , reminding us to "remember death." In an age where death is increasingly sanitized and out of sight, Catholic cemeteries stand as powerful visual reminders of life's inevitable end. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1007) states, "Death is the end of earthly life. Our lives are measured by time, in the course of which we change, grow old and, as with all living beings, the final bodily death appears as the normal end of life." Cemeteries, especially those once adjacent to parish churches, historically integrated the reality of death into daily life, making it a constant, unavoidable presence. This visibility challenges the modern tendency to compartmentalize and deny death, a tendency that can contribute to a "culture of death" where life is devalue...

The Ascension of our Lord, as described in Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, and Acts 1:6-11, is a pivotal moment not just for Christ, but for all humanity. As St. Cyril of Alexandria so profoundly explains, what happened to Christ affects the entire human race. When Christ was raised to heaven, he didn't just go alone; he brought us with him into paradise. He secured a path, smoothed an impassable way, and opened heaven, which was once closed to mortal man. This act was a first for flesh to enter that pure and holy realm, presenting himself to the Father as the " first fruits " of humanity in heaven. The angels themselves were astonished, questioning who this was coming from "Edom"—from the earth. Yet, the Spirit revealed the marvelous wisdom of God, commanding them to open the heavenly gates for the King of Glory. Christ, our Lord Jesus the Messiah, created a "new and living way" for us, entering not into a man-made sanctuary, but into heaven itself t...