And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. - Matthew 28

Sixth Week of Easter

On the Sixth Sunday of Easter, we hear the incredibly comforting news from Jesus in John's Gospel: "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you" as he promised to send the Advocate, the Spirit of Truth to us.

In many dioceses around the world, Thursday is the Feast of The Ascension of the Lord with its own special readings.

During the weekday readings, we learn of the work of the early disciples, emboldened by all they have seen, who preach and baptize and spread the good news. Paul has a vision of the Lord saying "Do not be afraid. Go on speaking and do not be silenced for I am with you." In the Gospels we are with Jesus, bidding us his farewell, in the Fourth Gospel. The reason we can be assured, after he leaves us, is that he and the Father are one. So, we can ask for anything, and the Father will give it to us.The Psalm responses all week are joyful in this Easter season:

The Lord takes delight in his people.

Your right hand saves me.
Heaven & earth are full of your glory.

At the end of the week, the Seventh Sunday of Easter sets the tone for the following Sunday's Pentecost as we read in Acts of the Apostles of Mary, the Apostles and other followers waiting in the upper room after the Ascension. In John's Gospel, Jesus prays to the Father, claiming us as his own: “I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me." In many countries, The Feast of the Ascension is celebrated on this Sunday.

Daily Prayer This Week

This is a great week to try to live in the promise of Jesus that we don't need to let our hearts be troubled. We can trust. He will not leave us on our own. We can prepare for the coming feast of Pentecost by letting the Holy Spirit console us and gather us.

But, what if I do have some troubles and worries? We can talk with our Lord about our desires regarding those anxieties and difficulties in the background moments of our life each day. For example, when I wake up, I can take a moment, while still at my bedside, letting myself name the struggles I will face that day, and simply asking the Lord to give me the graces I need today. That can take less than a minute, or 30 seconds, as the week goes on. In the shower, and while getting dressed, I can flesh out that desire.

O Lord, you know this is just tying me up in knots. I haven't slept well for a while and I feel so bad for snapping at my family last night. The specific grace I ask for today is to be calmed by your Spirit, and to place my trust in you. Give me the grace I need to not surrender my peace so easily.

O Lord, my spouse is really so angry and tight, and it seems we are just driving our teenager farther and farther from us, in rebellion. I don't know what to do. I'm responding to both of them badly. Today, let me focus on your love for me, so that I can be peaceful and calm in trying once more to calm the angry seas with simple love, with gentle affirmation, and patience that is a gift of your Spirit.

And, throughout the day, we can find moments -walking from one place to another, reaching for the phone, opening a jar of something, walking down a shopping aisle at the store, filling the car with gas - when all of this will come back and we can renew our trust in the Lord's promise. Especially, when we go to bed each night, we can give thanks, that we were not alone this day.