When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Whenever the Church celebrates Pentecost we cannot overlook the presence of Mary among his disciples in the Upper Room. This is her last appearance in the writings of the Evangelists though the "woman clothed with the sun" in the Book of Revelation certainly looks like her. In Saint Luke's telling, Mary opens and closes the complete account of the Lord's physical presence among us.
She also signals that Shekinah (presence) of the Holy Spirit. In the first chapter of Saint Luke's Gospel the Angel Gabriel told her the Holy Spirit would overshadow her much as it had overshadowed Solomon's new temple:
When Solomon had ended his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offerings and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the house. But the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. All the Israelites looked on while the fire came down and the glory of the LORD was upon the house, and they fell down upon the pavement with their faces to the earth and worshiped, praising the LORD, “who is so good, whose love endures forever.” 2 Chronicles 7:1-3
That same Spirit appears in Acts of the Apostles 2:
And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
With Mary in the room, there can be no doubt that this is the same Holy Spirit who accompanied, guided, and impelled Jesus throughout his life. Luke's sequel to the Gospel describes how closely the Church obeyed and imitated her Lord as missionaries carried the Gospel to the ends of the earth beginning at Jerusalem.
Mary continues to act as a guarantor of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our Church. We cannot assemble without her, and would not want to. Could a family gather without their mother so long as she is alive? "Am I not your mother?" she might say if they were to attempt it!
The Father of Jesus has given the Church many touchstones to assure us of his continual guidance. The last chapter of the Gospel of Saint Mark describes several accompanying signs:
These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
But for those who recoil from serpents and have no taste for battery acid, the Lord gives the Eucharist and the sacraments, the apostolic succession, the Magisterium, the witness of the martyrs, and especially the presence of Mary.
As the Church sails through these troubled times when even common sense understandings of truth and falsehood, male and female, law and disorder are confused, we thank God that her Shekinah remains with us.
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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.