FIFTY-PLUS
“ ‘Peace be with you,’ He said again. ‘As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.’ ” —John 20:21
How did your fifty-day Easter season go? Did you shout Alleluia each day? Since Ascension has the Lord worked a miracle in your life? Have you prayed with a new heart in anticipation of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit? You may be thinking, “I’m tired and can barely make it through the day.”
Don’t despair! Today is a day of new beginnings. It’s not too late to receive the fresh breeze of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:2). The Lord knows our weaknesses better than we do. He is a God of encouragement. At the Last Supper, Jesus told the apostles, “I will ask the Father and he will give you another Paraclete –– to be with you always: the Spirit of truth” (Jn 14:16-17). God doesn’t break promises. “Let us hold unswervingly to our profession which gives us hope, for He Who made the promise deserves our trust” (Heb 10:23).
This should put the wind back in our sails. Each of us has a mission. When we were baptized, the Holy Spirit put a seal on our souls (see Eph 4:30). At the end of each Mass, the priest or deacon sends us out into the world to share the Good News: “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” The Lord is merciful but also demands we do our part in growing His Kingdom.
Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit!
Promise: “My point is that you should live in accord with the Spirit and you will not yield to the cravings of the flesh.”
Praise: “When You send forth Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth” (Ps 104:30). Father God, we praise You for fulfilling Old Testament prophecies. Come Holy Spirit! Come!
