• Home
  • Short Bio
    • Fr. Dave’s Resume
  • Contact
  • More Articles
    • WEEKLY ARCHIVES
  • Holy Land Pilgrimage
  • University Series
  • Newsletter

Fr. Dave Heney

Connecting Faith with Real Life

Holy Land Tour Father Dave Heney

Gospel Reflections for May 13 2018: ASCENSION

May 9, 2018 By Father Dave 14 Comments

Gospel Reflections for May 13 2018: ASCENSION

Gospel Reflections for May 6 2018

Happy Mother’s Day!

Today’s Gospel has an encouraging lesson for Mother’s Day.

Jesus bids farewell to His disciples about fifty days after His resurrection and just before His Ascension into heaven.

I wonder how they felt …perhaps thinking, “How can we possibly go on without Jesus? How can we continue without the one who was the very center of our lives?

Well, we actually know how they responded in the Gospel. Far from being sad, they were filled with courage, energy, and zeal to spread the good news everywhere! Most of them left Jerusalem and travelled sometimes thousands of miles to distant lands, to places they had never dreamed they would ever see and to people who had never heard of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is good at providing that energy and eagerness for adventure!

This weekend we also celebrate Mother’s Day, and recognize the joy mothers feel at the birth of every child into their family and the strong emotions they might feel years later when their children leave their family for that first day of school, that first day of college, and especially that wedding day when they leave to form a new home.

If all goes well, we hope at each stage children are ready for the next step, and have been made ready by the selfless love and care of their parents.

In my 40 years as a priest I have made this transition many times. I knew I would have to start again and again in new places. Yet each time, I felt the Holy Spirit lift me forward as the disciples were lifted two thousand years ago. Happily, the event of “moving on” eventually brought me here to St. Bruno. I am certainly grateful to be here, and glad I will stay for years to come!

We can be sure that the same grace that propelled the disciples forward will help both mothers and children as they transition from one stage of life to another in their future.

The disciples discovered that the Holy Spirit provided just what they needed to eagerly look ahead to challenging new places.

Today we recognize and celebrate the important role that mothers play in our life, and that we need never feel anxiety about our future if we accept Our Lord’s promise of grace, zeal, and courage that He always delivers.

God Bless!

Fr. Dave

Fr. Dave Heney - DaveHeney.com

Filed Under: Gospel Reflections

About Father Dave

Fr. Dave Heney was ordained a parish priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1978. In 1991 he received a Masters degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling from the University of Southern California. He has authored three books and founded The University Series, a Lenten adult education program. Currently he is Pastor of St. Bruno Catholic Church in Whittier, California. Learn more about Fr. Dave >>

Comments

  1. franca dornan says

    May 12, 2018 at 10:23 am

    Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee your precious words Father Dave!!!Jesus chose a beautiful priest in you for you exude the Holy Spirit’s love and joy in all your endeavors!!You are loved wherever you are sent and you leave your love wherever you go!! Each parish and each person is sooooooooooooooooooooo touched by your love of Jesus for the Holy Spirit lives in you!!!! Forty years of giving Jesus’ love to others!! How verry precious!! You make the world sooooooooooooooooooooooooo beautiful!!! Happy Mother’s Day to our Blessed Mother who gave us our Jesus and to your mother and all mothers who have given us a beautiful life of Faith and love!!!! We all are sooooooooooooooooooooo blessed !!!!!Beautiful Faith, beautiful life, beautiful mothers,, beautiful YOU!!
    Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Franca and Dick

    Reply
    • Father Dave says

      May 13, 2018 at 7:42 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  2. R Lance Goodell says

    May 12, 2018 at 11:19 am

    Hi Fr Dave, it has been a while since we have spoken. I enjoy all of your monthly Letters but this one had a special meaning for me, as I am sure it did for others. I have always been a bit of a rascal but, in my moms eyes, I was always a good rascal! Luckily , I grew up knowing the difference!:)
    Hope to see you soon. Always a friend,
    Lance

    Reply
    • Father Dave says

      May 13, 2018 at 7:43 pm

      Thanks for your thoughtful message. I remember your great work with Fr. Joe.

      Reply
  3. Jennifer Corsetti says

    May 12, 2018 at 1:28 pm

    Father Dave, your beautiful words and insights give me comfort as I contemplate my precious, beloved boys leaving home someday. Thank you. St. Bruno’s is Blessed to have you! You are missed here in Ventura County!

    God bless!

    Jennifer

    Reply
    • Father Dave says

      May 13, 2018 at 7:44 pm

      You are very welcome! I am sure your boys will do well because of you!

      Reply
  4. Rebecca McCann says

    May 12, 2018 at 9:33 pm

    My computer isn’t showing your e-mails for all of 2018. It is for all my others so I went on line and Googled you.

    I really related to what you were saying on your reflection. As you know, I was at St. Paschal’s for many years and moving to Simi Valley wasn’t what I expected or happy about. However, I soon found out there is a reason for everything in Gods plan and I couldn’t be happier. Sometimes we find that our ways are not always God’s ways (in my case most of the time). If I could just learn to go along with God’s plans life would be much easier.

    Reply
    • Father Dave says

      May 13, 2018 at 7:44 pm

      Well said!

      Reply
  5. Kathleen Auth says

    May 13, 2018 at 9:33 am

    Dear Father Dave,

    I didn’t realize that after Jesus was crucified he spent so much time with his apostles! I suppose he left them when he was certain they knew their mission in life.

    Vocations, when chosen correctly, do reflect positively on the journey….

    Thank you so much for your weekly messages. They’re very important.

    God bless you.

    Kathleen

    Reply
    • Father Dave says

      May 13, 2018 at 7:45 pm

      He also assurred them that He “would be with them always!” I cannot think of a better message!

      Reply
  6. Jane says

    May 13, 2018 at 10:46 am

    Dear Fr. Dave,

    I am very grateful for your forty years as a priest. You are a beautiful reflection of Jesus and a good teacher as well. Your writing every week really mean a lot to us disciples.

    God Bless

    Reply
    • Father Dave says

      May 13, 2018 at 7:46 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  7. Yolanda Lopez says

    May 14, 2018 at 8:15 am

    Hi Father Dave,

    As always a beautiful message that comes filled with hope for anything we may encounter in our lives. Thank you, so much for the lovely Mother’s Day wishes and insight into a mother’s heart. I also, enjoy your weekly homilies and have downloaded the app, so I can pray the rosary with you. We are blessed to have you in our lives Fr. Dave and thank you for your sterling priesthood of 40 years! God Bless you always!

    Reply
    • Father Dave says

      May 14, 2018 at 9:24 pm

      Thank you for your most gracious words! I very much appreciate them.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Physics and Faith: From Light to Life
Luke 10 Leadership How to Succeed at Parish Ministry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a82sjLXM-g

Click video to view or watch on YouTube

Popular Articles…

  • Why Does God Allow Evil?
  • 2023 Blessings In Our Catholic Faith
  • Refections on Mass Shootings
  • Transgender Issues: The power of feeling and thinking
  • Roe v. Wade and Catholic Morality
  • Critical Race Theory
  • Latest Holy Land Security Update
  • Sticks and Stones: Free Speech and Violent Protests
  • Padre Serra and Cancel Culture
  • Black Lives Matter
  • Racism in Our World
  • What Happens at Mass?
  • Emergency Planning
  • Pro-Life & Pro-Choice Politics
  • Child Abuse Crisis and the Church
  • No safer place…
  • Can Your Prayer Change God’s Mind?
  • What If I Get Sick?
  • Old Testament Violence
  • Non-Religious View of Marriage & Same Sex Couples
  • Same Sex Couples and Marriage
  • Why Do Radical Islamic People Hate America
  • Forgiveness …is not forgetting

ABOUT FATHER DAVE
CONTACT

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
WEEKLY ACRHIVES

THE UNIVERSITY SERIES
ANNUAL HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE

Copyright © 2025 Dave Heney All Rights Reserved.