May 17, 2026: Go Make a Difference

Go Make a difference

I love that image from the first reading of the disciples standing there, staring into the sky as Jesus ascends away from them. [Show painting on screen] It’s almost like they’re saying, “Well . . . there he goes again. So now what?” And then two men dressed in white — we assume they were angels — say to them, “Why are you standing there looking at the sky?” In other words: “Go do something.”

And that’s exactly what Jesus tells them in the Gospel before he is lifted up: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” So there’s our commission: Go! Don’t just stand around staring at the sky. Go make a difference. But how?

Well, here’s a story. On June 19, 2025, during a baseball game between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Padres pitcher Robert Suarez threw a 100-MPH fastball into the upper ribs of superstar Shohei Ohtani.

Now a ball traveling that fast could kill ya. And the game was already tense. Ohtani gets drilled. Everyone’s watching. What’s going to happen now?

And Ohtani does three remarkable things. First, he doesn’t explode. He doesn’t scream. He doesn’t charge the mound. He doesn’t posture or threaten or make a scene.

Second, he stops his own teammates from retaliating. The Dodgers dugout starts emptying. Everybody’s furious. The pitch was ruled intentional, and it was the second time in the series Suarez hit a batter. Suarez was immediately ejected from the game. So But Ohtani simply waves them back. Calm down. Let it go.

And thirdly — and this is the best part — he does something absolutely amazing. 

[play video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aOQNsj-cG8s]

While a new pitcher is warming up, Ohtani calmly walks from first base over to the Padres dugout, where the entire team is gathered, and he gently says something to them. Nobody knows exactly what he said. It was never leaked. But honestly . . . it almost doesn’t matter. Because his body language said everything.

Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” And sometimes we think that means lecturing people, correcting people, arguing with people, convincing people how wrong they are and how they need to come back to church. But like my favorite saint, Francis of Assisi, said: “Preach always; when necessary use words.”

You are not going to change the person who drives you crazy by yelling louder than they do. You are not going to heal the world one angry post at a time. In fact, sometimes what you don’t say is just as powerful as what you do say. And you can influence people simply by the way you carry yourself. Just as Ohtani affected his teammates, your example can calm a room, soften anger, inspire courage, and change lives.

You graduating seniors — never underestimate the power you have. American anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” And I would add: “Never underestimate the power you have to change the world — because it is often the only thing that ever will.” You don’t lose control on a site because someone forgot a rule. You lose it when reactions take over. Ohtani showed a third option. Not fight. Not flight. Lead.

That’s what it means to reveal Christ. Don’t just wear a cross around your neck. Don’t just tattoo one on your arm. Reveal Christ. You don’t have to raise your voice. You don’t have to send out a thousand angry posts. You don’t have to figure out how to get even or retaliate. It’s trust the power of the grace working through you. 

In other words, do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.

As St. Paul says in the second reading: “May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know the hope that belongs to his call.” And we need that hope right now. Because life is tough out there. People are arguing more than ever before. We see innocent lives being slaughtered in wars around the world and even inside churches. We’ve got economic fears, climate fears, abortion debates, political divisions. And still . . . we . . .have . . hope.

So what’s going to change the world? You are.

If you want peace — model peace.
If you want justice — practice justice.
If you want kindness — show kindness.
If you want less retaliation — then live differently.

Model Jesus, who says: Turn the other cheek. Welcome the stranger — including immigrants. Love your enemy. Mahatma Gandhi once said,  “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” And Jesus said it first . . . by the way he lived.