Feast of the Ascension Cycle B May 15/16, 2021 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/051621-Ascension.cfm Two years at this time of year, my sister Katie got to deployed to Afghanistan. She is an OR nurse in the US Army Reserves and was sent to serve in a forward surgical team in a dangerous part of the country. When it was time for her to ship out, my family met her at Louisville International Airport to say goodbye in the area between the check in counters and the TSA security lines. I have a picture of her from that moment that I was looking at as I wrote this homily. She is dressed in her army fatigues and boots with a big rucksack. And she is holding my then 3-year old son EJ in her arms. EJ is her nephew and godson. In the picture, he is happy for the attention and the hug. She looks determined and composed—holding back sadness. There is real sweetness and poignancy in the image. I remember the mix of feelings I experienced as we said goodbye: Fear an