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I always love this time between Easter and Pentecost. I like to think about the apostles gathering together and trying to figure out what it all meant. Following the resurrection, they could look back at Jesus’ life and point to the prophecies from the Hebrew Scriptures. They could puzzle over some of the stories Jesus had told them and finally begin to figure out what he had been telling them. Every day must have been a deeper experience of understanding and of community.
Because I imagine this to have been a time of great discovery for the first disciples, I think it also is a wonderful time for us to take a look at our own faith journey and ask some of our own hard questions. "What do I really believe about _____ (Jesus, the Eucharist, etc.)?" are questions that can help us to grow deeper in our faith and our understanding. Once we articulate the questions hiding in our hearts, we can search for answers from our fellow parishioners, our priests and deacons, and from good Catholic books. We do not have to be afraid of our questions, especially during this time of waiting for the arrival of the Holy Spirit.
Reading the stories from Luke, chapter 24, and John, chapters 20 and 21, of Jesus appearing to his disciples following his resurrection is one way to begin the process of thinking about our faith and what it means to us, as is reading the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles. We often feel uncomfortable with the unsettledness of waiting for Pentecost to come. But, it’s important that we don’t rush through this time to get to Pentecost. By making the most of this in-between time and facing our questions and even our doubts, we can prepare our hearts for the arrival of the Holy Spirit.
