Gospel Reading: John 20:19-23
Have you ever wondered what the Apostles experienced on that first Pentecost morning? They still experienced fear and doubt, unsure what the future would be like without Jesus guiding them. Amid those mixed emotions, a wind filled the upper room, and tongues of fire appeared above each of them. Suddenly, they were filled with courage and began speaking to crowds of people from various places. Then an amazing miracle, the people understood the Apostles’ message in their own language.
Our lives are often like that. We experience fear and doubt, and we question our abilities, yet each of us, as Christians, has the same gifts given to the Apostles, bestowed on us at Baptism and strengthened at Confirmation. We have the power of the Holy Spirit to speak and act with the gifts of wisdom, understanding, knowledge, fortitude, counsel, awe, and piety. We can reflect those gifts in the way we speak, treat others, and in the ordinariness of everyday life. How often do we forget the powerful gifts that are deep within us and what amazing miracles can happen when we do use them!
Sister Rose Marie O'Barski, CSFN
