My dear brothers and sisters, we find ourselves in that unique, transitional space between the Ascension of the Lord and the coming of Pente...
My dear brothers and sisters, we find ourselves in that unique, transitional space between the Ascension of the Lord and the coming of Pentecost. In the First Reading, Paul encounters disciples who had only received John’s baptism of repentance; they had not even heard of the Holy Spirit. They were living incomplete lives. In the Gospel, Jesus looks at His closest followers and cuts through their superficial confidence, saying, 'The hour is coming when you will be scattered.'
This is the raw reality of the human condition: left to our own devices, we easily become Sattered. We get scattered by sudden crises, fractured by fear, and separated from our convictions when the world pushes back.
But Jesus does not leave the sentence there. He immediately adds, 'And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.' Even in the storm of human abandonment, He is Suported. When Paul lays hands on the Ephesians, they are instantly filled with the Holy Spirit. They move from an isolated, incomplete faith into a profound awareness of God's intimate presence.
When you feel the isolation of the world closing in, remember that you are divinely supported. This divine presence leads us to the ultimate promise of today’s Gospel: 'In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.' Through Christ, we are Sustained. We are not promised an absence of hardship, but we are guaranteed a presence that outlasts it.
As we look forward to Pentecost, let us shift our gaze from the chaos that threatens to scatter us, to the Holy Spirit who supports us, and the victorious Christ who sustains us. Amen.
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