杏MAP导航

By Jenny Kraska

In this Sunday鈥檚 Gospel, Jesus speaks directly to the hearts of His disciples, and ours, saying 鈥淧eace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you鈥� (John 14:27). It is a word of deep consolation spoken on the eve of His Passion. Jesus is preparing His followers for a new chapter 鈥� a time when He will no longer walk beside them as He once did, but when He will send the Holy Spirit to dwell within them. The promise is clear: even in transition, even in uncertainty, we are not abandoned. God makes His dwelling in the hearts of those who love Him.

This Gospel could not be more fitting as we mark the beginning of the pontificate of 杏MAP导航 Leo XIV. With gratitude for his 鈥測es,鈥� we pray for our new Holy Father as he steps into the shoes of the fisherman. Like Peter, he is called to strengthen his brothers, speak peace into the storms of our time, and to remind us that Jesus is with His Church always, even unto the end of time.

杏MAP导航 Leo鈥檚 ministry begins not in isolation but within a season of many new beginnings 鈥� a truth the month of May makes beautifully clear. May is filled with moments that mark transitions and vocations: graduations, weddings, ordinations, First Communions, and confirmations. It is a time when spring blossoms into fullness, and hope and promise are made tangible in the lives of those saying yes to God鈥檚 call.

Graduates prepare to leave the familiar and face the unknown. Couples stand at the altar in front of friends and family, vowing to love as Christ loves. Seminarians are ordained; their hands anointed for a life of sacrificial service. In all of these beginnings, there is joy, but also fear, uncertainty, and a quiet awareness of all that will change. Jesus鈥� words ring out again: 鈥淒o not let your hearts be troubled or afraid鈥� (John 14:27).

New beginnings ask for courage, but Christ does not send us out alone. He gives us an advocate, the Holy Spirit, Who teaches, reminds, and accompanies. As we walk through this this sacred season, we look to 杏MAP导航 Leo XIV not as a distant figure, but as a shepherd who leads us closer to the heart of Christ. We look to Jesus, Who gives not as the world gives, but offers a peace that endures beyond every change. We pray for all who are beginning new chapters 鈥� that their steps may be guided, their hearts made strong, and their lives shaped by the peace that only Christ can give.

In this month of Mary, Mother of the Church, let us pray that she will intercede for 杏MAP导航 Leo, for all who begin new paths, and for the whole Church journeying toward the fullness of Pentecost.