From Easter to Pentecost… what’s the plan?

By Judy Joseph McSween

Time Out Specialist – Emotional Intelligence, Conversational Intelligence and Spiritual Intelligence Coach.

And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained

(Jn 20:22–23).

Let’s PAUSE and centre ourselves, pausing and taking a few deep breaths, to bring ourselves to the present moment.

We breathe in peace and release all anxiety.

We acknowledge God’s presence in the present moment to guide and direct us.

We let go of our egos and acknowledge the opportunity to align our will with God’s will. We have our Bibles nearby, for therein lies the Word of God.

The Lenten period of fasting, prayer and almsgiving is now behind us. It concluded with the Easter Triduum. Many of us participated in the Lenten retreats, availed ourselves of Confession and attended one or more of the Triduum Services.

We journeyed with Christ through His Passion, death and Resurrection. We paused for reflection. The candles were lit, the bells chimed and once again we proclaimed Alleluia Alleluia, Jesus is risen. We celebrated new life for the risen Lord and our new life in Christ.

What now? And if we were absent from the Lenten activities, what now?

For some, Lent and Easter are over. The reality however is that the 40 days of Lent are followed by 50 days of Easter.

Yes, we have now entered the Easter season (Eastertide), from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. What now? In the absence of the clearly defined expectations of the Lenten period—fasting, prayer and almsgiving—what are we going to do between now and Pentecost?

How do we find purpose and flourish in the Resurrection light? Christ is risen; He is risen indeed!

Well one option is to commit to being intentional in how we live out the next 50 days. During His life, death and Resurrection, Jesus clearly exemplified His expectations of us. What happens next is this.

To be a true disciple of Jesus is to be both a follower of His teachings and an imitator of His actions.

n In the face of temptation (Lk 4:1–13) He did not leverage His divinity. He demonstrated how as man, humility and knowledge of the Word could be used to overcome temptation

n Jesus was merciful and compassionate to His persecutors. Jesus healed the severed ear of Malchus, a servant of the high priest, during His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane (Jn 18:10)

n Jesus demonstrated humility and service, in the washing of the feet of His disciples (Jn 13:1–17)

n He showered blessings of peace, gifted the Holy Spirit and gave the power of forgiveness to His disciples. John 20:19–31: “Peace be with you.”

What now?

The next step, as children of the Resurrection light, is for us to pick up our cross.

See Matthew 5:10. Are we willing to take up our cross and follow Him?

Perhaps we can be intentional in giving God praise and thanks for our burdens. We can resist complaining about the crosses with which we are burdened. We can be intentional in ensuring that our thoughts, words, and actions emulate humility, peace, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, and alignment with God’s will.

The next 50 days will take us to Pentecost Sunday—a celebration that marks the fulfilment of Jesus’ promise to send the Holy Spirit to His followers as a helper and a guide.

Embarking on an intentional journey could ensure that we are fully present and available on Pentecost Sunday, to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:26).

Judy Joseph McSween, Time Out Specialist is a Certified Coach in Emotional Conversational and Spiritual Intelligence. She facilitates leaders and teams to PAUSE long enough to hear what really matters and in that PAUSE, find the clarity and courage to transform.

Email: judy@timeoutspecialist.com Mobile: 1-868-684-9827

Reflection

What practices am I willing to engage in, to best live into my role as a missionary disciple in this period leading up to Pentecost Sunday?