Ascension

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Ascension

Sabbath Journey

Obey   Command   Respect

Went to the Upper Room

Holy Spirit

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Acts 1:13

After the Ascension of Jesus from Mount Olivet, the followers of Jesus went a Sabbath's journey and returned to Jerusalem.

When they came into the city, they went to the upper room where they had been staying.

Reflection

Have you ever wondered how the followers of Jesus must have felt after His Ascension?

Putting myself in their sandals, I would have felt apprehensive. Jesus has promised them that the Holy Spirit would come to them. However, what exactly would happen?

Their first move was to take a Sabbath's journey back to the upper room in Jerusalem. An observant Jew was limited to 5/8ths of a mile walking on the Sabbath. If you walked more than that, it was considered to be work and that was forbidden.

The Sabbath is a time of rest and renewal. It is a special time to pause and remember all that God has done for us.

The followers of Jesus were obeying what Jesus had told them. Yes, they were probably upset, confused, and afraid. Those emotions did not stop them from obeying Jesus. They were witnesses to the resurrection and had sacrificed much to follow Jesus. They trusted His message to them.

Jesus had given them the command to love one another. He told them that He would not leave them as orphans. He would be with them until the end of the world.

The followers of Jesus respected what Jesus had done and what Jesus had told them. They would  go to the upper room where they had celebrated the Last Supper with Jesus and wait for the Holy Spirit as Jesus had told them.

We are in a similar situation as we try to follow Jesus today. We are on a journey of faith. We listen to the Word of God and take a step each day to embrace what Jesus is asking us to do---to love one another.

We also know that we are not alone on our Sabbath's journey. Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to be with us. We are temples of the Holy Spirit.

How do we get in touch with the Holy Spirit? We have to take time to go into our own upper room. We can pray and ask Jesus for the strength that we need to follow His command to love one another.

We can find the right time and the right place to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. It might be for a few minutes after our young children are finally asleep. We are exhausted and ready for sleep ourselves; but those few minutes reassure us and help us on our Sabbath's journey.

It might be a walk at the beach, an encounter with some flowers, a spiritual podcast, a few minutes with the Word of God, a good conversation with a close friend, a refreshing and renewing book.

There are Upper Rooms all around. Jesus is inviting us to take time to realize the GIFT He wants to share with us.

Come Holy Spirit!

1. How would you feel if you were one of the apostles and you had just experienced the Ascension?

2. Do you ever take a Sabbath's journey with Jesus?

3. Do your emotions of confusion and fear ever get in the way of your following Jesus?

4. How do you feel Jesus with you?

5. What do you see as you contemplate Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John McNamara)

Joy

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Joy

Hope   Truth

Keep   Commandments   Teaching

If You Love Me

Indwelling

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   John 14: 15

Jesus was speaking to His apostles after the Last Supper and said:

"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."

Reflection

As you reflect on your life, what are the moments that have given you the most joy?

I can think of the first time I met my wife to be. I was going into my senior year in college and told my good friend who was with me that this is the girl I am going to marry. He thought I was crazy!

I saw and felt something very special. She was a person of joy. I loved her laugh and her honesty. I knew that she was a person with whom I could share my hopes and dreams.

She had a passion for the truth. She would always speak frankly and had a great ability to read the hearts of people.

In our reading from John, Jesus connects love for Him with keeping the commandments He has given to us. Those commandments are handed down by God to Moses and through him to our Jewish sisters and brothers and all peoples.

The commandments teach us to respect God and to respect the human dignity of each person. We might wonder how the commandments can lead us to joy.

When I met Kathy and experienced that joy, I knew instinctively through our communication that she was a person who respected God and our sisters and brothers. I knew the commandments were a true and lasting foundation for real joy and not the fleeting pleasure of a moment.

Joy comes when we embrace the teaching of Jesus. He has told us that His mission is to bring us joy---joy to the full.

We unfortunately sometimes have the impression that religious people are just dour rule followers who are afraid to experience life. When we look at the patriarchs, the prophets, the wisdom teachers, the disciples of Jesus, and the saints, we see just the opposite: they all embraced life, the commandments, and the joy that comes from giving to others.

Jesus teaches that if we love Him, we will keep the commandments. We keep them because we know that they are the foundation for a life of joy. We read every day about the sadness that comes to people who lie, cheat, and kill. We know that they need healing in their souls so that they too can experience true joy---the joy that Jesus wants to give.

That joy will dwell within us. We can never lose it even in the midst of adversity and challenge. It is why Jesus came to us. 

It is the GIFT that Jesus wants for us. Pope Francis aptly named his first apostolic exhortation The Joy of the Gospel. He underscored that it was Good News and it was for ALL.

I felt it when I first met Kathy. I knew it was God's GIFT for me. I thank God for that GIFT every day.

Know that God wants that joy for you. 

Always!

1. What are some of your greatest moments of joy?

2. Why do some people have the impression that religious people are joyless?

3. How can the commandments help you to find joy?

4. Do you see the Gospel as Good News?

5. Where do you see joy in Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John McNamara)

Dwelling Place

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Dwelling Place

Eternal      Home

Way     Truth     Life

Take You to Myself

Promise

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   John 14: 3

Jesus was speaking to His disciples after the Last Supper and said,

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am going to come back and take you to Myself.

Where I am, you also will be."

Reflection

Our dwelling places are very important for us. We are willing to make sacrifices, work multiple jobs, and spend many hours sprucing up our homes. Many people devote a big chunk of their time watching home improvement shows and videos.

They are so central in our lives because we all need a place of privacy and relaxation. There are times when we are eager to invite friends to our homes and other times when we want to be alone or with close family. 

However, our homes are temporary. Many of us have lived in several homes. I was talking with a friend recently who has lived in 35 different homes. I felt like a slacker for living in only 12 homes!

In our reading from John, Jesus is pointing us toward a special home. It is a home with Him, an eternal home. 

Since we are so used to change and many different places to live, it is hard for us to imagine an eternal home. On a certain level, it is something that we desire. Many people will talk about putting a lot of time and effort into their homes and say that this is their "forever" home. 

Forever in that case means that they have worked so hard on their home, they do not want to move again. They are satisfied with how it looks. They are comfortable.

Jesus is leading us to His home. He tells us that He is the Way. If we follow Him, we will find a true home. 

In His Home, there is truth. We do not have to be concerned about people lying to us. We do not have to be concerned about fraud and scams. No one will be selling us snake oil or the Brooklyn Bridge. The truth will be clear and obvious because Jesus will never deceive us or mislead us.

The home to which Jesus is leading us will be full of Life because Jesus has conquered death through His resurrection. We will be leading a life of joy because Jesus wants to take us to Himself. 

He is so full of Love for us that His only desire is to bring joy to us, joy to the full. He wants us to dwell with Him forever. He has promised us that He will always be with us.

Those 12 dwelling places that I have experienced have all left memories with me. I can picture each one of them and remember those who were with me. 

They were all temporary. The dwelling place that Jesus wants for me and for all of us is different. It is our true Forever Home. 

It is a Dwelling Place of Love and Joy. 

It is a Dwelling Place with Jesus.

He wants to take us to Himself, to embrace us always.

1. Of all the homes you have lived in, which one was your favorite?

2. Do you enjoy working to make your home more comfortable?

3. Have you found your "forever" home or are you still looking or struggling to find a home or apartment?

4. How should we try to help those who are homeless find their dwelling place?

5. What do you hear in your heart when Jesus says that He wants to take you to Himself?

6. What do you feel as you contemplate Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John McNamara)