Dear Brother Knights,

On Thursday, May 13th we will celebrate a Holy Day of Obligation—the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. Jesus left his disciples forty days after his Resurrection. Forty is a significant number in the scriptures. Moses went to the mountain to seek the face of God for forty days in prayer and fasting. The people of Israel were in the wilderness for forty years in preparation for their entry into the Promised Land. Elijah fasted for forty days as he journeyed in the wilderness to the mountain of God. In each of these instances, something really big happened after a period of forty days/years. This is the same with Jesus after Easter. For forty days after his resurrection Jesus appeared numerous times to his disciples to assure them that he had risen indeed and to prepare them for the task of carrying on the work which he began during his earthy ministry. After these forty days, the glorified and risen Lord and Savior ascended into Heaven to receive His rightful place at the right hand of the Father and then to send His Apostles the promised Holy Spirit on the Feast of Pentecost. Let us attend Mass with great joy on May 13th. Let us glorify and praise our Lord Jesus Christ who ascends to Heaven as our King, and let us prepare our hearts for the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Pentecost Sunday, May 23rd.

~Monsignor Joseph J. Nemec