Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter
(Acts 19:1-8; John 16:29-33)
Unlike the disciples
in Ephesus we have all heard of the Holy Spirit. But few of us may be aware of the Vigil of
Pentecost when the Church prays fervently for the coming of the Spirit. Vigils themselves puzzle many. Technically they are not just the evening
before a Sunday or a solemnity. Vigils
have a unique set of readings and presume that participants will return the
next day for the celebration of the feast.
All of us know of the Easter Vigil and, perhaps, the Vigil of
Christmas. The Solemnity of the Birth of
St. John the Baptist also has a proper vigil as does the Ascension, St. Peter
and St. Paul, and the Assumption.
When the disciples in
Ephesus receive the Holy Spirit, they begin to speak in strange ways and also
give testimony to the Lord. We should
hope for no less after preparing to receive the Spirit on the Vigil of
Pentecost. We may not speak “in
tongues,” but we should boldly attest to the Lord’s love for us and for
everyone.
How might we provide
such testimony? A preacher once told of
the love in his family while he was growing up.
He said that there was such harmony in his home that when his father
returned home from work, he would dance with his mother in their living room. The two, father and mother, in turn showered
love on their three children. The preacher
began to cry. We could add that the love
shared by this preacher’s family is but a shadow of God’s love for us.
