The angel took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone....
In his fourteenth psalm, Saint Francis recalled the promises of God:
For God will secure Zion, * and the cities of Judah will be rebuilt.
And the poor will dwell there, * and will inherit Zion.
And the descendants of God’s servants will possess it * and those who love God’s name will live in it.
Already we are anticipating the end of the Easter season. We'll recall the Lord's Ascension next Sunday, and the coming of the Holy Spirit two weeks from today. The movable feasts will continue with Trinity Sunday and Corpus Christi, but we will have moved into Ordinary Time.
On this Sixth Sunday of Easter the Lord promises to send the Holy Spirit. Despite his Ascension into Heaven, we will not miss the Presence of the Lord. The Presence of God -- the Jews called it Shekina -- will remain with us in the Holy Spirit.
We'll know that Spirit in many ways, but I think especially of the Hope that compels us. Along with the seven gifts and the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit is Hope, one of the three Cardinal Virtues.
More than any other creature of Earth, human beings anticipate a future which may be quite unlike the present moment. Our pets never doubt that we'll feed them tomorrow, nor that they'll have a comfortable place to sleep tonight. But we know things happen; and sometimes our normal is shattered by events; and some of them could not be foreseen.
Hope foresees and expects through the good times and the bad. Our faith recalls the teaching of ancient past: "The angel took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God."
What exactly that means no one can say. It is not as predictable as this evening's sunset or tomorrow's sunrise, nor is the image as clear as the blueprints for a new building, but Faith assures us it will be wonderful. It will be as good as, and better than, every city we have ever built, with more assurance of peace and prosperity, and more cooperation of all its citizens.
This Holy City will be governed by the same Holy Spirit that guides us today, as each of its denizens experience the fullness of its gifts (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord); and abundance of its fruits (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.)
In that city we shall know the freedom of God's spirit since we, like Mary, the martyrs and all the saints, will want only what God wants. How could we want anything less than that which is right and just?
In the meanwhile, on this sixth Sunday of Easter and the 22nd day of May in the year of Our Lord, 2022, our hope guides us to care for one another as best we can. What we should do may not be clear since every important decision is shrouded in controversy. We must continually discuss among ourselves issues of peace and justice, prosperity and security. We remember that the Holy Spirit first appeared during a meeting in the Cenacle; not to any one individual. We act as one and move together.
We do not expect to find in this world a final solution. Every promise of a final solution is diabolical. But we work to include everyone in the political and economic systems that we have. All should have equal access to life's necessities, with ample room for its luxuries. Exclusion is violent and can lead only to disproportion of the blessings which descend like manna from heaven. There is more than enough for everyone when everyone is willing to share equally and trust one another.
And that can be done only with the assurances of the Holy Spirit for our sins leave us anxious and worried. In today's gospel we hear the Lord's promise,
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit,whom the Father will send in my name,will teach you everythingand remind you of all that I told you.
We abide in his promise and are already joyful.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.