From the Desk of Fr. Peter:
Happy Ascension my dear good people of Our Lady of Hope Parish, Clare. Hope you all are having a happy Sunday. Today the church celebrates the solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus into heaven. After 40 days following his resurrection, and appearing to the apostles in different occasions, Christ ascended to the father in heaven. It’s a great feast for the church that calls for happiness, joy and hope. The Ascension of the Lord brings to culmination of his salvific mission on earth. He, the son of God, the second person of the Trinity, became man, lived and died to cleanse our sins and mend the bridge broken by sin so we live fully the children of God and people of salvation. The death, resurrection and ascension of Christ are prophesies made of Christ and fulfilled in Christ in time for the salvation of the world. The fulfillment of these prophesies has given us hope that we will rise with Christ. Christ promised the apostles “in my father’s house there are many mansions…… I am going to prepare a place for you and then I shall come back to take you with me, so that where I am you also may be.” Jn. 14: 2-3. Christ is in heaven as our mediator with the father, our intercessor and our representative. This feast is really a true source of joy for all of us because our mediator is interceding for us. We owe Christ our love by keeping His commandments so that after our lives here on earth we join him eternally with the Father and the Holy Spirit and with all the saints. May we keep our faith strong and our love unshaken as we witness for Christ among our people.
May the peace of Christ be with you all now and always. Thanks for all you do for God and for the people especially this time of need. My prayers with you always as you pray for me. Thanks for your contributions for the good of the parish financially and otherwise. I will see you all back to church soon. Blessings!