Tomorrow will mark the birth of the Catholic Church - Pentecost Sunday - when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles who had been praying for nine straight days since Jesus had ascended into Heaven to sit at the Right Hand of God.
What the Apostles did in those nine days of crisis and anxiety between the Ascension and Pentecost is remarkable and essentially set the structure of how we as the Faithful are to react and handle our own trials, troubles and challenges.
Jesus departed from them physically that Sunday and left them all in a panic as to what was to come next for them.
What did they do in the face of this crisis and uncertainty??
They locked themselves in their room and they prayed!
They prayed continuously for nine days.
They prayed for the promise Jesus gave them up in His departure - for the Holy Spirit to come upon them in Jesus' absence.
They prayed to the Holy Spirit.
They asked for amd enlisted the Blessed Mother to help them in these prayers.
They prayed and they waited and they persevered in this prayer - hopeful, faithful, believing and trusting!
Thankfully for us, not much has changed for over 2000 years has it?
In our times of great challenge and trial what are we to do?
Panic? Lament and give up?
No - in these inevitable times of strife and despair, perhaps we can remember what the Apostles did for those nine, long, painful days when their Savior once again left them physically, leading up to the arrival of the Holy Spirit.
They retreated to a quiet place.
They prayed to the Holy Spirit to come upon them - for nine days.
They asked for the help of the Blessed Mother in their prayers - whom Jesus too gave to them (and to us) on that Hill on Good Friday - a promise that endures to this very day for all of us!
And they PERSEVERED - in hope, faith and in trust- until their prayers were answered.
They didn't quit.
They didn't stop praying in despair or fear.
They didn't focus or worry about all the other thoughts and fears that can overwhelm one.
We can learn a lot from their actions and apply these principles not only in times of crisis and storms, but we can apply them immediately in our daily prayer life and achieve the same peace and joy and power that the blessed Apostles did on that Sunday!
That is the Promise! ;) And it is available for us all this very day if we but accept it!
Have a tremendous weekend!
Stay Strong!
Doug
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