Five months ago, we
were gathered together at Bethlehem. We were there on the night that the Lord
Jesus was born. We saw the manger. We saw the shepherds. We heard the angels and we saw Our Lady and
St. Joseph. We beheld the face of the invisible God in the face of a baby. It was
beautiful and peaceful. It was safe and it was holy.
Fifty days ago, we were
gathered at the empty tomb. We were
there on the morning of the glorious resurrection. We saw the stone that was rolled away. We saw the burial cloths. We heard the announcement of the angels and
the message of Mary Magdalene. We heard
the voice of Jesus and we recognized him in a gardener who knew our name. It was
beautiful and glorious. It was joyful and holy.
A week ago we were
gathered on the mountain. We were
gathered as the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven and took his place at the right
hand of the Father. We received his
blessing. We heard the voices of the
angels. We were filled with joy because
the Lord promised to remain with us always.
And we were told to await the gift of the Holy Spirit. It was beautiful
and hopeful. It was comforting and holy.
Today, we are gathered
in the Upper Room. Here we receive the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. From
here we are sent out. We are sent out to
all of the world, or some small part of it.
We are sent out with the power from on high that appeared in tongues of
fire over the heads of the apostles. We
are sent out with the message of forgiveness and mercy and life and
holiness. We are sent out from the Upper
Room.
But honestly, dear
brothers and sisters, I was comfortable at Bethlehem. It was beautiful and
peaceful. I was comfortable at the empty
tomb. It was beautiful and glorious. I
was even comfortable at the mountain of the Ascension. It was beautiful and
comforting. At Bethlehem, at the empty
tomb, and at the mountain of the Ascension, we were accepted and we were
loved. We were gathered together in the
presence of the Lord. We were embraced
by the love of God that comes before us.
We were embraced by the love of God that surrounds us. We were embraced by the love of God that is
promised to us. At Bethlehem, at the
empty tomb, and at the mountain of the Ascension, we were accepted and we were
loved. I am comfortable there, and maybe
you are too.
I am comfortable in the
Upper Room. It is beautiful and safe. It is peaceful and holy. In the Upper
Room I feel protected. In the Upper Room I feel secure. There are no school
shootings in the Upper Room. There is no opioid crisis in the Upper Room. There
is no persecution in the Upper Room. In the Upper Room there is prayer and
comfort and consolation and community. It is so very tempting to stay in the
Upper Room. Maybe we could build on to the Upper Room. Maybe we could keep
ourselves safe in the Upper Room. Maybe we could stay in the Upper Room, knock
out a few walls and make the Upper Room bigger, and keep the message of
salvation and gift of the Holy Spirit for ourselves. It is safe and comfortable
in the Upper Room.
But the Spirit sends us
out. The Spirit sends us out from the
Upper Room. The Spirit sends us out to
the world. In the world we meet rejection.
In the world we meet hostility.
In the world, we meet hatred and jealousy and persecution. I was comfortable in the Upper Room, and
maybe you were too.
But the Spirit sends us
out. The Spirit sends us out with the power
from on high. The Spirit sends us out
with the joy of the Gospel. The Spirit
sends us out equipped for every good work to build up the Kingdom. The Spirit embraces us. The Spirit empowers us. The Spirit sends us forth, and by the fire of
his love he burns away the fear in our hearts. The Spirit has been at work in
the world since that moment when the Spirit hovered over the waters at the dawn
of creation. The Spirit is joining us to work that He is already doing. We need
not fear leaving the Upper Room for the Spirit who sends us out is the Spirit
who surrounds us and supports us.
But before we are sent,
we shall be fed. Here at the Altar, by the power of the Spirit we will be fed
with the bread of life. And the Spirit will lead us through the world and to
that Kingdom where with the Father and the Son, One God lives and reigns
forever and ever. Amen.
