Today we are celebrating three major events: first, the solemnity of our Lord’s ascension; second, it is the 58th World Day of Communication; and third, in the Philippines we are celebrating Mother’s Day.

The Gospel provides us with profound insights into the significance of Jesus’ ascension. “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” (MK 16:15) Jesus entrusted the disciples with the mission of sharing the good news and evangelizing the whole world while bearing witness to him through their lives. To be a Christian, we need to be proclaimers and evangelizers. What we preach, we proclaim with our lives. In short, we walk the talk. Jesus’ ascension signifies His Heavenly glory, and we are also invited by Jesus to participate in his mission by living our faith through loving service to our brothers and sisters.
Through the very lives we live, we may bring the restoration, healing, and saving love of God to the world. Jesus’ ascension reveals his full participation in God’s life and glory. The descriptions of Christ following his resurrection provide us with a clue as to what life would be like in heaven. The idea of sharing such glory should be the driving force behind everything we do.

We also commemorate the 58th World Communication Day. For this ocasion, the theme chosen by Pope Francis is “Artificial Intelligence and Wisdom of Heart: Toward Fully Human Communication.” In his message, Pope Francis emphasizes the importance of integrating technology with our humanity, especially in the context of artificial intelligence. Rapid advancements in artificial intelligence have a huge impact on the world of information and communication. These developments affect everyone, not just the experts on the subject. To manage this cultural transition, we must start with the human heart. Pope Francis encourages us to embrace artificial intelligence while remaining completely human; a new type of human being emerges—one with greater spirituality, freedom, and interiority. We must recover the wisdom of the heart because it enables us to integrate various aspects of our lives and our distinctive qualities. Once again, as Christians, we need to be proclaimers and evangelizers. Let us build wisdom of the heart while using technology to improve our communication, relationships, and comprehension of the world around us.

Lastly, in the Philippines we are celebrating Mother’s Day today. Mothers are a gift to all of humanity. They are good proclaimers and evangelizers of Gospel values. They show us what God is like because they embody qualities such as faith, love, courage, wisdom, and sacrificial devotion. In a loving mother, we see Christ, who longs to gather his people like a mother hen would gather
her chicks under her wings. Mothers were there for us when we needed emotional support. Mothers hugged us. They comforted us and let us sit on their laps in times of trouble. They do what they proclaim because they love unconditionally. My mother is one of my greatest heroes, and I am the fruit of her love and sacrifices. I’ve seen in her the God who gives me the confidence and courage to offer up myself for the sake of others by serving the church (God and humanity).

And so, on this Mother’s Day, we’d like to acknowledge all the women who have given so much to us all. We wish everyone the happiest of Mother’s Days!