Saturday of the 6th week of Eastertide
Gospel: John 16:23-28
In this sacred period between Ascension and Pentecost, the Church learns to wait in prayer and desire for the coming of the Holy Spirit. In today’s Gospel, Jesus says: “Ask and you will receive, and so your joy will be complete.” These words reveal that prayer is not merely asking for things, but opening ourselves to receive the fullness of God’s greatest gift, the Holy Spirit. The disciples, after the Ascension, remained together in expectation, praying with trust because they believed in the promise of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the source of true joy because He unites us with the Father through the Son and makes the life of the Risen Christ alive within us. Human joys are often fragile and temporary, but the joy born from the Spirit is complete because it comes from divine communion. This time between Ascension and Pentecost therefore becomes a school of prayer, teaching us to desire not only blessings from God, but God Himself dwelling within us through the Holy Spirit. The more we ask with faith, the more our hearts are prepared to receive the joy that only the Spirit can give. Let’s reflect: Am I truly praying and waiting for the Holy Spirit as the greatest gift of God, allowing Him to fill my heart with a joy that is complete?
Don Giorgio