As we gather on this Wednesday of the 7th Week of Easter, we find ourselves in a sacred moment of transition. We have just celebrated the Lord’s Ascension, when Jesus ascended into heaven, promising to send the Holy Spirit to empower His disciples. Now, as we prepare to celebrate Pentecost this coming Sunday, our hearts are stirred with anticipation and a call to deepen our readiness to receive the Spirit, while at the same time rejoicing that our Lord returned to his rightful place, seated with the Godhead, having been vindicated in his victory over evil, sin, the devil and what Scripture calls his final enemy – death.
In the first reading from Acts 20, Paul’s farewell to the elders of Ephesus is a poignant reminder of the responsibility entrusted to us as shepherds and disciples. Paul exhorts the leaders to “keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock,” emphasizing vigilance, care, and faithfulness when it comes to our personal vocation and whatever kind of assistance we must give to others to help them live theirs. He warns of wolves lurking, false teachers seeking to pervert the truth. Of late, I have been noticing more and more on the social medias, all the young evangelists out there, and some perhaps not so young, but, that are out there on the campuses and in the streets and engaging the people with a speaker and microphone. They get a lot of things right about Jesus, but so many things wrong, especially when it comes to the Church he founded upon Peter and the faith of the apostles. Rather, there is a need for steadfastness in deeper study, and a more profound humility. They’ve got the courage down packed for the most part, but they’re lacking in the fullness of truth, which ironically, as pompous as that may sound, can only come to us through a submissive humility. “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children” Matthew 11:25.
This vigilance is not just for leaders but for all of us. As we await Pentecost, we are called to examine our own readiness. Are we alert to the presence of falsehoods and distractions that pull us away from Christ? Are we attentive to how we care for one another, especially the weak and vulnerable? The Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus, is the same Holy Spirit that sanctifies and purifies us as we continue to prepare ourselves for heaven. Am I ready for heaven? Am I ready to walk among the saints, if my eye is full of lust and my heart is full of greed and attachments to this world? Most likely, all of us will hang our heads in humble acknowledgement that we are not there yet. Hence the excitement and gift and joy of every day God continues to give us in his mercy, so that we can allow the Holy Spirit to keep chiseling away.
In the Gospel reading (John 17), Jesus prays for His disciples, yearning for their unity and sanctification. He asks the Father to keep them in His name, to protect them from the Evil One, and to sanctify them in truth. Jesus’ prayer reveals a deep desire for His followers to be one, just as He and the Father are one.
The transition from Easter to Pentecost is a shift from waiting and vigilance to active mission. The disciples, after witnessing Jesus’ Ascension, are called to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promised Spirit. That Spirit will empower them to go out and proclaim the Gospel to all nations, and that same Spirit, through no merit of our own, has lovingly come to us as well. We too have gone out into the world and we are so grateful to God, that he has allowed us to share His goodness with others.
Most Holy Mother, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Amen.
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