Welcome back to Waiting for the Spirit! As we draw near the end of our online retreat, feel free to post your reflections in the comments area below each day’s content as we encourage one another in prayer. Go back and read other retreatants’ comments too as we walk together with the Lord.
The Grace I Seek
I pray for the grace to recognize the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life.
Scripture
Read today’s Scripture readings: May 29, 2020, Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter.
Tim Muldoon reflects on today’s Gospel, John 21:15–19. Muldoon is Director of Mission Education at Catholic Extension Society and author of Living Against the Grain and The Ignatian Workout.
In his video, Muldoon refers to The Crucifixion of St. Peter by Michelangelo in the Pauline Chapel at the Vatican. Learn about the artwork and the chapel here.
For Further Reflection
Something Might Hold Us Back
In the midst of our Easter joy and our openness to sharing the Good News, something might still hold us back. It’s a fact: we are sinners; we’re unworthy. Who would listen to us? Right in the midst of our unworthiness, Jesus meets us just as he met Peter. Peter had denied Jesus three times, so three times Jesus addressed him, inviting him to greater confidence. Then Jesus sent him out, leaving the past behind.
—Amy Welborn, in 2020: A Book of Grace-Filled Days
Take some time to ponder the message that God shares with you today through the Scripture readings and reflections. When you are ready, proceed to the closing prayer.
Closing Prayer
Gretchen Crowder leads us in prayer.
Tomorrow (May 30), after praying with this retreat’s final reflection materials, join the worldwide Ignatian family in a Pentecost prayer vigil at 8:00 p.m. Manila, Rome, or New York time. Learn more.
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Lord, you know everything, in tears, I open my heart to the Lord who knows my past and He continues to love me. Thank you, Jesus. In spite of my weakness and sinfulness, Jesus continues to invite me to follow Him. Lord, you don’t count my past. Renew my life and help me to be faithful to you.
Thank you Gretchen for your closing prayer. The words ministered to me and affirmed me at the right time, after having made up with and responded with love to someone who had hurt me with her words. Thank you for being the Spirit’s messenger to me.
Thank you Lord for your love, for looking past my sins to love me for who I am.
Come, Holy Spirit!!♥♥♥
Thank you,
Thanks for this reflection Tim. I, like Peter , need God’s unconditional love. Since I am a human being, I will always be a sinner, but one loved by a merciful Father. That’s the beauty of our faith, God meets me where I am. As I become closer and grow in my love for God and Jesus, I desire to please him and follow his commands. His promises are real, he even gave me the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord for so much…
My main daily prayer is one of thansgiving for all the gifts God has given me..beginning with my beginning in my mother’s womb—up until this very day (May 29th, 2020). I am 79 y.o. (April 13, 1941) and have gone through many wonderful spiritual gifts! Amen!
Thanjs I like the way I understand how we need to serve others when we are older and how we were taken care of when we were young. It is time to serve others and dedicate everything we do to Jesus. .Holy Spirit will guide us and show the way. GID Bless Us All
Thanks Tim.
Thanks Gretchen.
I have really enjoyed this retreat! Thank you to everyone who contributed!
Taking on the challenge to always desire to love the Lord at all cost. May like St. Peter we will be able to recognize three and more chances to repent and pick up ourselves when we fall into traps of wickedness.
Mama Mary, accompany us in our Christian journey. May our loving your son and authentic profession of faith in God be lighter to bear than it appears as demanding.
Come Holy Spirit, come.
Gracious are your reflections and prayer, Tim & Gretchen. Maraming Salamat 🙏👼
The reflections during this time between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost on Sunday, gives me hope that the spirit will come down on us as it did on the Apostle’s and we will be a better people making it a better world. I find it interesting that the states and cities are slowly opening up and it happens to be this week–end. Maybe the Spirit is already working. I believe in the Spirit and I say what I do is from the Spirit, not from me. It was once suggested that I read Wisdom, looking for the Spirit and when I did I found out that Wisdom is the female side of the Spirit.
At this time of the pandemic. The Holy Spirit is all that I had in the daily mass, receiving a virtual Eucharist..I am humbled and rependdant, how I took things so for granted, the mass, the community for it was always there..suddenly I’m barred from my base, my center, then comes the near insanity. Then as I search for electronic means of support, encouragement. It was all there waiting to guide me thru. Ever ready to bless me. Then became a new, daily attendance at mass, the rosary. Soon it became a habit, the amazing Holy Spirit guiding me thru, each homily spoke to me. Each rosary took on a significant meaning, a family prayer, a world prayer, a Covid prayer…this began to take the morning away soon it was noon..the feeling of oneness with the Lord, Jesus and Mary. Living alone I was never alone, for the Holy Spirit the comforter the counselor made His presence known to me..the readings..Father said read John, the daily readings and beg God for what you need. Thank you as I move forward to Pentecost, I know that He the 3 in 1 will all be there. Covid 19 may defeat the world – the Holy Spirit will renew and refresh us..thank you,
It seems the pandemic has enabled you to have a rich experience of the Triune God because of your openness to transformation.
This retreat has been wonderful. Thank you, Holy Spirit for your guidance and for blessing each of those who shared their thoughts throughout the retreat. May we celebrate Pentecost with a renewed Spirit!
Thank you for giving me the understanding in this passage of how much Jesus loves and blesses us unconditionally –
He does not wait for us to be perfect before using us but in taking a step forward not knowing all that is to come we grow closer to who we were created to be – we walk by faith and not by sight.
A wonderful insight into Peter .
Inspiring prayer to draw us deeper into this relationship –
Thanks for praying with us Benedetta!
This beautiful retreat is renewing my love and need for the Holy Spirit at a time when our world seems very dark, not only because of covid-19 but because of the horrible killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis the other day and the outpouring of violence that has resulted. Come, Holy Spirit!
Tim: Wonderful reflection. I was thinking that even with Peter’s (our!) confusion and misunderstanding which you so well point out, Jesus still asks him, again and again, to ‘feed my sheep’. And then concludes with “Follow me.” I was thinking in my prayer this morning that Jesus has more faith in us (me) than I often have in myself.
Gretchen: Amazing prayer. I listened to it many times. “Come, Holy Spirit…. inspire me… fortify me…” Great way to start my day! Thank you.
Thank you, Chuck! I’m glad it spoke to you!