Reflection on the Seventh Sunday of Easter

The Gospel reading for this week reminds me a great deal of all of the following: a loving prayer to God, a commencement address to graduates and a missioning ceremony to those about to leave for faraway lands. Now they will be responsible for teaching all they have learned to God’s people throughout the Earth.

Most of us remember how we felt going to our first mission as teacher, nurses or to our new assignments to serve God’s people. I, for one, was terrified and wondering how long I would survive in my new world. Deep in my mind was the statement “God will provide for all that you need.” This was a lesson all of us learned during our novitiate. However, like the Apostles, I had some doubts.

I believe that the disciples of Jesus were experiencing the same fears, and that they needed exactly what Jesus gave them on top of that mountain. Jesus reminds them that:

• the Father had sent him on a special mission
• Jesus and the Father are one
• they were chosen by the Father
• Jesus gave them all the Father’s words and they had accepted them
• and that the Apostles believed that Jesus was sent by the Father.

Jesus had also promised them an Advocate, sent by the Father, Spirit of truth.

Like most teachers, the material that we are to teach is one thing. The skill of teaching is what we learn by observing our teachers who are very good at teaching. Jesus used all kinds of cultural tools to get his ideas understood by the listeners. Jesus was leaving them, so the fear of not knowing what would happen to them next was very present in the Apostles.

Jesus understood their fears and anxiety and even though they knew of God’s love for them, they had not understood Jesus’ words that He would always be with them as they carried out their mission.

The 50 days between Easter and Pentecost is a final review of three years of teaching the Apostles received from Jesus.

As we reflect on the Acts of the Apostles, we understand that the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised them was really God directing their steps, burning their hearts with Divine Love and inspiring their every thought and desire. Every word and action that they experienced in Jesus’ presence became real and present to them again

The Good News has been preached all over the world since Jesus left us to join the Father. The Holy Spirit is still with us, giving all of us the right answers when we need them and the guidance, wisdom and courage to lead health and holy lives. The Holy Spirit fills our lives with Divine Love and with the joy of life.

I want to close our reflections with one of those visible, loving stories that remind us all that the Spirit of God is still working with us.

We have a young couple who live in one of the houses on the Motherhouse property. They have been foster parents for children for some time. This past Friday, they invited the Community to come to the adoption ceremony of one of the children that they are adopting. A number of our members were present at the ceremony. They came home to tell those who had not gone what a beautiful and joyful experience it had been. Their faces were glowing with the joy that they felt, and the joy was felt by the rest of us.