Saint Boniface, Bishop, Martyr
Thursday of the 7th week of Eastertide
First reading Acts 22:30,23:6-11
The time between Ascension and Pentecost is a season of deep interior preparation, in which the Church waits not in fear or uncertainty, but in trustful expectation of the Spirit who strengthens and sends. In Acts 22:30–23:11, as Paul stands amid hostility and confusion, the Risen Lord appears to him with a word of comfort and commissioning: “Courage! You have borne witness for me in Jerusalem, now you must do the same in Rome.” This moment reveals the essence of the Spirit we await—the Spirit of courage, who transforms fear into bold testimony and uncertainty into unwavering purpose. As the apostles gathered in the Upper Room, they did not yet know the form their witness would take, but they knew the promise: the Spirit would come. So too in our waiting, we are called to open ourselves to the Spirit who fortifies hearts, emboldens speech, and sustains witness in every place the Lord sends us. The same Spirit who gave Paul the courage to face Jerusalem and Rome is ready to strengthen us for our own mission—if only we wait with prayerful hearts, ready to say yes. Let’s reflect: This is a time of prayerful waiting in which the Church opens itself to the Spirit of courage, who transforms fear into bold witness and prepares each heart to say yes to the mission ahead.
Don Giorgio