A reading from the holy Gospel of Matthew 28:16-20
The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.
REFLECTION: ”And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
During this quarantine, I cleaned the kitchen drawers. I came across my mother's hand written recipes. I can still hear her telling me and see her showing me how to cook those delicious Mexican meals. “ A pinch of this” and a “handful of this”. Her instructions were very helpful for my future cooking endeavors. Finding the recipe books stirred up many happy memories of my mom. It was like she was still here. She was still guiding me.
In the planning for His departure to go back to His Father, Jesus left some instructions to his apostles.
Do not be afraid.
Faithfully carry out and express the Father's will.
Wait for the Holy Spirit (Advocate or Paraclete).
Teach.
Baptize.
Speak about the Kingdom of God.
Save souls.
Be a witness to His love.
He promised He would not leave the apostles orphans. The Advocate would take His place. How long were they to wait for the Holy Spirit? No one knew the exact day.
But they knew to pray and wait. Prayer is the key that opens doors.
Jesus chose average people to carry on His work. After He left them, they had no more courage than when He was with them. But they were reliable and were willing and wanting to stay with Him.Their strength was to be a gift from God--the Holy Spirit. So they waited for further instructions.
Jesus promised, "And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." They just simply had to wait and pray for the Holy Spirit.
God Bless You
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