Today I'll begin my reflections working backwards from the gospel, the most difficult of the three readings. This particular passage is not a short story, a sermon, a parable; but a series of Jesus thoughts put into words. But for us they are abstract and mysterious. They do not give us anything concrete to get a handle on.

The passage is in fact a prayer, a rather lengthy prayer offered to the Father at the end of the Last Supper. It is not a farewell prayer; but a prayer of consecration asking protection and salvation for his disciples whom he entrusts to the Father.

It is because these disciples believed in him; as shaky as that faith may have been, it enabled them to ultimately understand his glorification.

In the second reading Peter concludes the six week series on the resurrection but returns to the theme of suffering and its inevitability. Suffering is that which unites disciples most closely with Jesus and with one another.

Suffering generally is the consequence of either sin and disintegration, both personally and communally. Suffering as a consequence of sin is somewhat understandable and even somewhat avoidable, at least for a time.

But suffering even for those who have lived well, sometimes persecuted just for being who we are is more difficult to understand and accept. By natural instinct we recoil from the thought of suffering. We do our best to avoid it.

Like the first disciples we believe in Jesus, and our faith may be shaky; we live in a non believing world. By our faith we are called to distinguish ourselves from the life style of non- believers; not to judge; but not imitate--to live in the Spirit for whom we wait next Sunday. We often refer to the Holy Spirit as the Paraclete, the consoler or comforter.

Now to the first reading we find three things happening. After standing around gawking at Jesus departure and return to heaven; they return to Jerusalem as they had been instructed. They gather together as a community probably returning to the cenacle where they had celebrated the Last Supper; and thirdly they watch and wait in prayer. Assuredly this time they were not overcome with wine and sleep as they had in the garden of Gethsemane.

The reading describes the picture of a perfect church but we all know that in this real world in which we live the church made up of all of us is not perfect for we are not perfect.

As Peter says: "We must constantly be vigilant and watching, for the devil lurks like a beast looking for someone--all of us to be devoured. "

Though we celebrate Pentecost liturgically next week, we pray each week each day for the coming of the Holy Spirit into our personal lives and into the Church in a new way--in a new and constantly purifying dynamic. With ever fresh tongues of flames which may not be visible but enkindle our spirits.

Next Sunday's feast of Pentecost--the 50th day brings to completion the Lenten/Easter Cycle that began with cold ashes and embers. It is important to remember that salvation has come to us, not in the ashes but in the Blood, the Light, and the Fire.