We all have our disappointments in life.  They can range from the inconsequential (the store is out of the brand of laundry soap that I have a coupon for) to the significant (a diagnosis of cancer or another serious illness).  And we all deal with disappointments in different ways.  Young children are very good at "catastrophizing" a disappointment.  Mom's refusal to get that wanted candy bar in the grocery checkout line can lead to a tantrum.  But as any mother knows, not giving in to a child's tantrum is teaching a lesson on how to deal with the inevitable disappointments that are part of each person's life.

Self-discovery is part of every person's life. To a greater or lesser extent, individuals learn about themselves as they go through various stages of maturing. Adolescence is an early period of self-understanding, when teenagers begin individualizing themselves, sometimes rebelling against parental values, sometimes integrating them into their own lives. College years and young adulthood are another period when men and women begin to uncover more about their own place in the world. A traumatic experience in middle age-job loss, divorce, serious illness-may also provoke a time of self reflection, during which a person may question what the meaning of his or her own life is.

In the very difficult economic times of the last few years, many families found themselves relying on resources that they had never had to utilize in the past. Some households used their retirement savings or tried to sell their homes after a job loss. Others found themselves grateful for unemployment compensation even if it didn't pay all their bills. Some adult children found it necessary to move back in with their parents, while some families found help from a local food pantry or meal program maybe one to which in better times they actually made donations.

Poor nutrition is a clear source of numerous ailments. Lack of vitamin C causes scurvy. A serious deficit in vitamin D can lead to weakened bones and osteoporosis. When a person does not have enough protein in his or her diet they can suffer from kwashiorkor, a wasting disease in which the body attacks its own tissues. Night vision is affected when a person is not consuming enough vitamin A.

"The Spirit of truth... will take from what is mine and declare it to you." Jesus says in today's Gospel that the Spirit declares something to US. We actually have a kind of share in the blessed life of the Trinity through this spiritual declaration. In particular, God gives us the gift of his truth. Traditionally, we say that God--the Blessed Trinity--is the source of all truth, beauty, and goodness.

In the United States military, the Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG) is the legal branch concerned with military justice and military law. Judge Advocates can serve as legal advisers to commanders. They can also act as prosecutors in courts-martial, or serve on the defense team. The first encounter many people had with this branch of the service was through the television series JAG that began in 1995 and aired on CBS through 2005. For ten seasons viewers followed the exploits of military lawyers in plots that occasionally stretched credulity.

The Synod on the Family was last October, and we now wait for Pope Francis to release his statement on what to do to strengthen the family in the twenty-first century. Many say that the family is under attack and we need to focus more intently on family values. One thing we may all agree on is the centrality of the figure of the mother in all families. It is that primary and central role of mother that draws family together. The mother is the glue that binds all families together. As we celebrate the tradition of Mother's Day, let us pray for our mothers, both living and deceased.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." Can we hear Jesus saying these words to us? It's often easier for us to imagine the apostles hearing this consoling command and following it, than to think of it really applying to us. After all, Jesus was standing right there with them.

"This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." When people watch us, do they know that we are the disciples of Jesus? As Christians, we are called to do more than love the Lord. We are called to be his witnesses in the world by loving others as well.

St. Augustine once said, “We are an Easter People, and Alleluia is our song!”

Alleluia means “Praise God” or in Ancient Hebrew, it means “Thanks be to God.” Therefore, to be an Alleluia person means to be filled with praise and thanksgiving for all of God’s graces; to have a constant disposition of gratefulness and thanksgiving for everything…  because everything is grace: creatures, persons, events, thoughts, words, and deeds… all in life.  To be a person who looks at another person, and in faith, in the spirit of God, says, “You are good and I thank God for you.” Alleluia, let us accept one another in the Spirit of the Risen Lord, believing that we can all rise up from the depths of our tomb (fall), and be an Easter person. Alleluia! Thanks be to God.