Daily Reflection on the Gospel of Tuesday, May 16, 2023

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Today, we contemplate another farewell by Jesus, necessary for the setting up of his Kingdom. There is, however, a promise included therein: «As long as I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go away, it is to send him to you» (Jn 16:7). 

A promise come true in a most striking way in Whitsun Day, ten days after Jesus ascended into Heaven. In addition to remove all sadness from the Apostles' hearts and from those gathered around the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus (cf. Acts 1:13-14) that day, so much confirms and strengthens their faith, that «they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim» (Acts 2:4). 

A fact that, throughout centuries, “becomes present” through the only one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church, inasmuch as, by the action of the same promised Spirit, it is announced, everywhere and to everybody, that Jesus of Nazareth —God's Son, born of the Virgin Mary, who was crucified, suffered, died and was buried— truly resurrected and is seated in glory at the right hand of the Father (cf. Creed) and is living among ourselves. His Spirit lives in us through our Baptism, constituting us to be the Son's children, and reaffirming his presence in each one of us through the sacrament of Confirmation. All this, to carry out our vocation towards sanctity and to reinforce our mission to bring others closer to God, too.

Thus, thanks to the Father's will, to the Son's redemption and to the constant action of the Holy Spirit, we can all react in faithfulness to that call, by becoming saints; and, with a bold apostolic charity, without any exclusivity, to carry out the mission to a good end, to propose and help others towards sanctity, too. 

And as the first ones did —as the ever faithful ones did— with Mary, we pray, and trusting that the Helper will come again in glory and that there will be a new Pentecost, we say: «Send forth your Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your Love» (Pentecost Alleluia).