I love the stories in the Acts of the Apostles that speak of the wonderful things that happened after the Holy Spirit who had been promised by Jesus, came and  permeated the hearts and lives of all those waiting in the upper room on that first Pentecost.   What transformation took place!  Just imagine Peter and the other disciples, who after the death of Jesus, hid themselves behind locked doors…now going out on the street and fearlessly proclaiming all that they ever heard or witnessed when Jesus was with them before and after his death!  So great was their enthusiasm, that those who saw and heard them accused them of being under the influence of strong wine … yes, of being drunk … and so early in the day. But as the people listened they began to realize that something miraculous had happened to these men and asked what they should do …and many believed and were baptized becoming the first followers of the New Way, the first Christians. 

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Many years ago at a National Catechetical Conference, I had the opportunity to attend a talk on the Charismatic Renewal which had begun to flourish in the United States. I had previously heard of the movement but I had one very basic question, “Why would one need to have someone lay hands and pray over him or her to receive the Holy Spirit if that person had already been baptized and confirmed in the faith?”

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We have spent the last several weeks reflecting on the different ways that Jesus showed himself to the apostles and to his many other friends after his resurrection from the dead. Just one appearance may not have done it, he had to show himself over and over again … he had to eat with them, allow them to touch him in order to convince them that he was truly alive.  He had to prove to them that even though the day would come when they would no longer see him, he would be with them always …they would see and touch him in a new spiritual way … yes, they would seek and find him in the depths of their heart.       

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One of my favorite pastimes is walking in the woods. When I was younger, I loved mountain climbing. Fall and spring found me with a group of students climbing to the top of Mt. Pleasant.  These experiences taught us so much about our life’s journey. While our goal was always to reach the summit the only way to succeed was to carefully watch every step. So much could be lost by not paying attention; there was the physical danger of tripping and falling, and there was also the danger of missing the beauty that surrounded us as we made our way to the top.

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It is now the third week of Easter, and for me, the scripture readings become more and more significant and meaningful as we move deeper into the mystery of the resurrection of Jesus.  This is especially true of the passage we will use today which is taken from the Gospel of Luke chapter 24.  It is a lengthy story so filled with insight that it is impossible to glean its abundance in one reading. Therefore we will use versus 13 – 27 today and continue the story in the next meditation.

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