After Jesus’ Ascension His disciples returned to the upper room where they had celebrated the Last Supper and gathered in prayer with Mary, the women, the apostles and many disciples. They needed time apart after Jesus’ Ascension. It was like a time of retreat for them. Jesus had told them to stay in the city until they were clothed with power from on high. Jesus had promised that He would send them an Advocate, the Holy Spirit. So they spent these days in retreat praying for the Holy Spirit. Jesus would continue to be with them through the Holy Spirit Whom they would receive at Pentecost after this time of prayer together.
Prayer is an important part of our lives. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines prayer as, “The elevation of the mind and heart to God in praise of his glory; a petition made to God for some desired good, or in thanksgiving for a good received, or in intercession for others before God. Through prayer the Christian experiences a communion with God through Christ in the Church.”
This definition helps us to remember the different kinds of prayers. We pray for certain things, such as an end to the Coronavirus, the return to work, or safety and good health for all. We also pray for others, especially the sick and dying among us. In the Gospel Jesus teaches us about prayer as he begins by praying for Himself and then for His disciples and us. If Jesus then prayed in this way then we too ought to model this type of prayer in our lives. We can and should pray for ourselves realizing that God will give us only what is truly good for us. We should also pray for others as this nurtures love and care for our fellow human beings.
As we await Pentecost Sunday let us use these days to prepare by spending some quality quiet time with the Lord. We probably cannot make a retreat but perhaps we can set aside 10 to 15 minutes each day for quiet prayer with the Lord. As the disciples, together with Mary the Mother of Jesus, spent quiet prayer time in the upper room let us take time to pray for a greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon us and our community of faith.