Once again, welcome, dear parishioners and friends of Saint Edward's, to today's Mass on this feast of the Ascension of the Lord.
     In my backyard, there remains a large lilac bush, no longer standing proud and tall, but bowed down, low to the ground, made that way a couple of years ago by very strong winds that came through. But this is the important thing: though bent down, its branches are filled with a new display of those spring blooms, soon to impart their wonderful scents.
     In 1947, our parish of St. Edward the Confessor, Granville, was established by Bishop Michael J. Ready. And since then, we have grown and flourished. We've built ourselves a new church and become an even more vital part of our community.
     But then a great wind has also struck us and bowed us down, like that backyard lilac bush. The wind, of course, is the deadly coronavirus. And yet, the blossoms of St. Edward's, are very much present and alive.
     On next weekend, the feast of Pentecost, we will reboot, with God's help, our parish. There will be information on our parish website and Flocknotes on the procedures adopted by our parish committee.
     And one of the more important changes will be, for the time being, that we'll keep the same 5:00 p.m. Mass on Saturday, and that there will be only one Mass on Sunday at 10:00 a.m., which will give us the time needed to sanitize our building. Our old schedule made that impossible. And we will return, though, to the original schedule, just as soon as we can. When that will be, only God knows.
     On the fence along Newark-Granville Road, there is a banner, and it congratulates the high school graduates of our schools' class of 2020. This weekend, you know, we would have had our normally celebrated Mass for Ascension and then a breakfast to follow with graduates and family. But we still honor them as they move on in life.
     I could compare their experience to the apostles on Ascension Day. They felt alone, plagued by doubts, and wondering where they were headed as the Lord left them physically.
     One of the speakers on last Saturday's TV special--"Graduate Together"--advised all of the graduates not to be afraid, to seek to do the right thing, and always to build community. The very same goes for us all.
     And you know, in today's Gospel, there are two key words followed by two reassuring words for the apostles, for our graduates, and for our parish as we make ready to reboot St. Edward's. "And behold, I am with you always until the end of the age." The two words that followed before were "Go." "Go therefore." What more advice or counsel do we need? That is as true now as it was for those first disciples of Jesus, our parish at its founding in 1947, and in the month of May 2020.
     I look forward to seeing many of you again here at Mass next weekend, but if you are not ready yet to do that, know that the Bishop has dispensed from the obligation to attend for now and that we will be streaming our weekend Mass to all of you.
     Whether here or there--all of us--let us help to blossom out for the world. And a reminder, surely, please continue your financial support of the parish, the St. Vincent de Paul Conference, and the St. Vincent Haven because we all depend on it.
     God bless you all again on this Ascension Day, and to those not able to join us yet this week, this much I do know: we'll meet again. Don't know how, don't know when, but we'll meet again some sunny day.