Ascension Sunday

If you're a Catholic or have friends or family who are Catholic, this is a busy time of year - the season of First Communions and Confirmations. The very young receive Jesus into their hearts and those a few years older embrace the Holy Spirit. It is also the time of year we celebrate students who have finished a course of study and are graduating. There are years of preparation that precede each of these milestones, and each carries its unique responsibilities.

A few weeks ago, one of my grandsons received his first communion. He was solemn as he processed up the aisle of the church with his classmates, dressed for the occasion with their little hands folded. A few days later, his cousin was confirmed, and as she processed into the church with her sponsor and classmates, the mood was alive with the energy of teenagers. Both brought smiles and a few tears.

Each occasion was filled with proud mothers, fathers, and family members. There were flowers, gifts and celebrations all around. It struck me that the way we learned about the sacraments in our youth as “outward signs of inward graces” was just what was taking place. These young people and their families were publicly proclaiming their faith. They might balk at my use of the word “proclaiming,” but in fact, that is what was happening. They had been prepared to take their faith forward in an age-appropriate manner.

My perspective on these events as a grandmother differs from my view when I was a mother. With my own children, there were so many things to consider and details to attend to that my attention was drawn away from the “outward sign of inward graces”. Perhaps this understanding comes with wisdom or the gift of age.

In addition, three grandchildren are graduating – two from high school and one from college. These graduations have each child being thrust into a new world to discover who they are and where they are going. The college graduation of our grandson was a combination of tradition, with processions, flags, and professors dressed in robes that distinguish them as scholars, and the exuberance of youth.

The high school graduations are both this week and require some fleet-footed runs to the airport to make it from one to the other. There will be smiles and tears and again the exuberance of youth that gives us all hope for the future.

Each of these milestones is a beginning, not an endpoint and so it is as Jesus leaves his disciples. He prepared them well, and as he takes his leave, he reminds them that they are witnesses to all of the things that took place surrounding his life and death. They are the beginning of a new era – an era that will take them all over the known world to teach and preach all he taught them about the kingdom of God.

Just before he left them we read in today’s gospel that he assured them they would not be alone, “...behold I am sending the promise of my father upon you…stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Luke tells us they “returned to Jerusalem with great joy.”

The disciples didn’t know what the next chapter would be but their preparation by Jesus gave them a sense of confidence to move forward. Our children have been given this same sense. Let us encourage them to move forward and let us accompany them on the journey in any way we can.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Peace,

Anne

Why Mentoring Inner City High School Girls Has Made Me Better

Nancy Cooper, Ignatians West Volunteer 

Four years ago, when I began volunteering at Sacred Heart High School for Catholic girls in Lincoln Heights, I had no idea what to expect. I just knew I had the gift of work experience and a love of teenage girls. I wanted to share those, along with my spirituality, with them. I hoped to guide them in building their confidence and reaching their goals during their high school years.

This past week, as I sat at their graduation award ceremony at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral, I witnessed many achievements of the seniors, two of whom I had become very close to over the last two years of mentoring. At graduation, I met their families whom I had heard stories about and marveled at the challenges these two young ladies had overcome.

One young lady, Brianna, received a special award called The Dominican Carisma Award. It was given to the senior who best demonstrated the values of the Dominican Sisters as the founding order of Sacred Heart. When I remember some of the spiritual discussions Brianna and I would have, recalling her doubts and frustrations, while I taught her about Ignatian Discernment and prayer, it moved me to see her recognized for the growth and wisdom she had learned.

Brianna will be attending LMU, her dream school, for college. When she was admitted, but without receiving enough financial aid to afford it, I encouraged her to appeal and write to LMU not of her family hardships or her own medical condition, but instead tell them what characteristics she could bring to LMU: Her wonderful sense of humor, her openness to trying new things, her whimsical style of writing and her strong spiritual knowledge as well as her goal to make a difference in the worlds of medicine and engineering.

Brianna received a special scholarship from the appeal that will provide financial aid for all four years. When we met and she was wearing her LMU sweatshirt, I had to stop from crying as I reached out to hug her. In Brianna’s characteristic way she simply said, “Look Miss what happened when I did what you said. Not bad, right?”

Another young lady I mentored, Amberly, always dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. Her course load was rigorous and she continued to stay involved in Campus ministry and art clubs. She wanted to attend UC Davis, but she knew she would not be able to get enough financial aid to attend. She considered switching her major to something else and giving up her dream of becoming a veterinarian just to be able to attend a California State University that she could afford.

We spent a lot of time exploring other ways Amberly could achieve her dream of attending Davis. I asked her to look into community colleges that might have animal study programs. She was hesitant, as she said that would be embarrassing for someone as academically successful as she was, especially as she saw her best friends getting into UC’s and private colleges. We spent a lot of time talking about ego, control and God’s plan for her. We also talked about Ignatian Discernment and I shared particular experiences from my own life where I thought I had failed or had to take a circuitous path, only to learn about trusting God to guide my future. Amberly agreed to look into options.

Amberly will be attending Pierce College on a full scholarship. Pierce is a two-year Veterinary preparatory college with a 90% transfer success rate to UC Davis, helping its students secure financial aid to complete their veterinary education at Davis. Pierce will also allow her to collect the volunteer hours of working with animals to fulfill the Davis Veterinarian requirements. At graduation Amberly was as proud speaking of Pierce as her friends attending UCLA and LMU. We shared a wonderful moment of inner knowledge about trusting God’s path and letting go of ego to find happiness.



I have learned from these bright and passionate young women to be more courageous myself. They have opened my eyes to my ability to maintain joy during struggles. I have learned about new music, pastimes, foods and I have become a more faith-filled person as I share my own experience of my life and of my Catholic faith.

Next year I will meet 4-6 new young ladies to mentor, while I continue my mentorship of the 6 ladies that will become juniors and seniors. I could not have found a more fulfilling way to share my love of God and youth than to spend time with these very special inner-city Catholic girls. I hope and trust that God will guide me to bring these ladies additional gifts that he has given to me and that I will stay open to learning from them. 

Nancy Cooper is retired from a wonderful career in advertising and is a long-time parishioner of St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Westwood. She has been married for 30 years and has 2 children.

In our last newsletter, Betsy Potts shared her volunteer experience at the Cristo Rey School in Santa Ana.

Here is Betsy pictured with some of the students.

Fr. Frank Buckley, SJ is a clinical psychologist currently serving at Homeboy Industries. Prior to this this position he served as clinical director at the Center at Blessed Sacrament for a number of years. He completed his pre and post doc fellowship in the counseling center (CAPS) at University of San Francisco where the theme of his doctoral dissertation was “flourishing on a Jesuit campus." His interest in mindfulness, meditation, contemplation, and Eastern spirituality has taken him to Jesuit communities in Nepal, Thailand, India, and Tibet.

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