May 2022: We Are Always Connected

Dear Friends,

“I am with you always, until the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:20b) This was the verse before the Gospel at Ascension Thursday Mass. This year, the feast day on May 26 (celebrated on the following Sunday, May 29, in the Diocese of Wilmington and Camden, but celebrated on Thursday in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia) fell on the last day of classes for 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students. At the conclusion of Mass, I shared with all the students and staff a story about my first day of kindergarten. 

I recalled how on the first day of school, a cousin with her own children picked me up from our home and took me to Saint Helena School, just a mile or two away. At the end of the day, I returned home and told my mother that I did not want to go back, and I would rather stay with her at home. She acquiesced (why, I don’t know), and so I did, starting school in the first grade. If I were to analyze my five-year-old mind today, I would conclude that I experienced separation anxiety, since it was probably the first time I had been away from my mother for that length of time, and was the youngest of four brothers by almost 14 years.

I shared this brief story in reflecting on how the disciples might have felt at the Ascension event. The anxiety, fear, and sadness brought about by my separation from my mother might have been some of the same feelings the apostles felt at the Ascension. Having followed and lived with Jesus for three years, they became a family. It must have been difficult to see Jesus leave them at that moment. Even after his death, which until that point, was considered a final separation from loved ones left behind, he appeared to them many times, talking and eating with them. And they were excited to have Jesus with them again, having risen from death. Wouldn’t we be overwhelmed with joy if, for just a little while longer, we were able to physically be and talk with one of our loved ones who died? So it must have been even more emotional to experience the Ascension, having to revisit the feelings of separation and sadness they first experienced when Jesus died, while holding on to the promise that Jesus made to them: that he would be glorified and seated at the right hand of God, protecting them and sharing with them that he would always be with them.

Endings are difficult. Whether it is a school year coming to a close with summer plans that may not include seeing each other as often as students do each school day, or graduation, when seniors move on to the next part of their educational journeys, it is challenging to think about leaving behind the familiar and especially fond memories. At the end of every school year, there are mixed emotions as we look back and celebrate the end of another chapter in our lives and the “commencement” of new adventures as we look ahead. 

Ending this year, when we need to pray for the families of Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas, who lost loved ones to senseless violence, the safety and security of our children and of all people who gather in public places going about their daily routines is on my mind. As parents, we always want to protect our children, even as they become adults. It is a visceral reaction.

Looking back and remembering even the tragedies and sad times in our lives is an important part of our own healing process, and helps us navigate the future to make positive change. Consider our tradition of celebrating Memorial Day, when we remember - sadly, but with gratitude - the lives of all those men and women who have lost their lives in defense of the freedoms that we enjoy in the United States and in places around the world. While their lives on earth have ended, their memories live in us, and, as we believe, their souls live on. 

As I shared with the students at Mass, I cannot help but think about the Feast of Pentecost as we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus, because it is a cause for hope and joy at a time when Jesus tells his disciples that he must leave them. He promises to send them the Holy Spirit - the same Holy Spirit that is a part of our lives and is living and active in the world today. 

The Church makes sure to remind us of the presence of Christ in the world through two more feast days that follow Pentecost: Feasts of the Holy Trinity (June 12) and the Body and Blood of Christ (June 19). The Gospel reading from John for the Feast of the Holy Trinity proclaims:

Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you." (Jn 16:12-15)

In the Mass celebrating the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, the consoling verse before the Gospel is, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord; whoever eats this bread will live forever.” (John 6:51) Jesus has not left us alone. He is with us through the Holy Spirit and, as we believe as Catholics, in the Eucharist whenever we celebrate Mass.

Similarly, we are here for each other, even though seasons change. As I told our students, I hope that the summer for all of us is a time of relaxation, good health, and some work in right proportion, and that, while we have ended another school year, we are still here for them and look forward to welcoming them back in August or to being in touch with them over the summer, should they need our help. To our seniors and those families whose last or only student is graduating this year, I extend to each of you an invitation to keep in touch, to visit as often as you are able, and to keep the Archmere community in your prayers. 

One of the verses of Psalm 104 sung for the Feast of Pentecost is, “How manifold are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have wrought them all . . . “ (Ps 104:24) Each of you is a “work of the Lord,” and to be celebrated for being you and for the important roles you have as parents, students, grandparents, faculty, staff, and benefactors of Archmere. You are leaving behind a legacy - a part of you that contributed to the community we are at this moment. You also take with you what you have learned and experienced, the relationships you have made, and the memories that you have accumulated. Know that we are connected - for better or worse - by our mutual experiences, and that the Lord is with you: “I am with you always, until the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:20b)

Blessings for an Enjoyable Summer,

Michael A. Marinelli, Ed.D. ‘76

Head of School