“I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (John 13:34). Our Lord shares these words with the Apostles at the Last Supper because in John’s Gospel our Lord gives a rather lengthy discourse. With that in mind, it is helpful to read His words through the lens that we are on the eve of His Passion and Death. “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” suddenly becomes a more poignant line. It is not a cute phrase to frame and hang on your wall. It is the summit of Christian discipleship. Love as Christ loves—laying down our life in union with Him, embracing our crosses for the salvation of souls, to know our Lord and love our Lord to the point that we can imitate Him and His love.  

What a beautiful invitation. Christ has already won the victory. He is risen. Let us rejoice, He has risen indeed! As a pastoral region that is turning a massive new page as we become a parish family, we have a lot of unknowns up ahead.  
 
Without jumping already, we have plenty of known crosses that we would not have chosen if they could have been avoided. Some are losing regularly scheduled Masses at the church that has been their spiritual home for a lifetime. Some are losing their preferred Mass time. Some fear how crowded a new Mass time will become. Some fear their parish will be the next to close. Some will have to travel to another church for the same Mass time. Some feel forgotten and others neglected. Some are apprehensive about combining two cultures in one location and how that will change their spiritual home.  

And let’s pause. There is mourning that must occur. The Mass schedule changes on Monday, June 6, which is quickly approaching. Then, there are lots of unknowns post-July 1 for all of us. It is important to mourn while we can, to acknowledge our sorrow and unite with the Lord on the Cross. So, please, if you haven’t already, let yourself mourn and invite the Holy Spirit into that mourning. I have fears, concerns, and things to mourn myself. I’m human. We are all sinners in need of God’s mercy.  
 
Now, Christ has won the victory. So, after we mourn. Now we remember, “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” Now, we sacrifice for one another. We pray for one another. We lay down our lives for one another. If less is changing for you, then you are asked to sacrifice more to pray for others. If more is changing for you, pray for those who are sacrificing for you. Yes, we need to mourn. It is ok to mourn. But we cannot forget that after Calvary was the Resurrection. Christ has won the victory. We mourn, love one another, heal, and focus on the salvation of souls. And we do this most effectively in union with Our Lord Jesus Christ as an entire parish family.
 
Let us mourn the things that we did not ask for and the fears that we have of the future, so that we can be set free by the Lord to regroup and redouble our efforts for the salvation of souls.