AFTER HIS RESURRECTION, JESUS SPENT 40 DAYS WITH HIS FOLLOWERS
I invite you to take a few minutes to read this important reflection, which provides deeper insight into the significance of Holy Week and the events that followed.
After Resurrection Sunday, on the second Sunday of Easter, the Feast of Mercy is celebrated (Diary 299). Jesus said to Sister Faustina: “I want the first Sunday after the Resurrection to be the Feast of Mercy, a refuge and shelter for all souls, especially for poor sinners. On that day, the depths of My mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon the souls who approach the fountain of My mercy. Any soul that confesses and receives Holy Communion will obtain absolute forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day, all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are open” (Diary 699). We are invited to make a good confession and thus receive God’s grace and divine mercy.
After conquering death, Jesus decided not only to appear to a few disciples, but many of His followers too. Not just once, for He remained among them for 40 days and on the final day He ascended into heaven—the day of the Ascension. Before his departure to heaven, he told the apostles to remain in Jerusalem until the promise of the Father came: While he was eating with them, he instructed them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised: “The promise,” he said to them, “that I have told you about—John baptized with water, but you will soon be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4–5) And ten days later, the Holy Spirit came, and thus our Church was born on the day of Pentecost.
The word “Pentecost” comes from the Greek “Pentēkostē,” which means “fiftieth.” It refers to the feast celebrated fifty days after Easter. In the context of Jewish traditions, originally, Pentecost (Shavuot in Hebrew) was a feast celebrating the harvest and the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. For Catholics, Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, as recounted in the Book of Acts: When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all gathered together. Suddenly, there came a sound from heaven, like a violent wind, which filled the entire house where they were staying. Tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign languages, as the Spirit enabled them to express themselves. At that time, devout Jews from every nation under heaven were staying in Jerusalem. When they heard the sound, a crowd gathered, and they were amazed because each one heard the apostles speaking in his own language. (Acts 2:1-6)
This event is considered the birth of the Church and, as of late, has become a time of renewal and strengthening of the faith, where we, the faithful, are called to be open to the action of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The feast is also associated with fire and wind, symbolizing the living and active presence of the Holy Spirit. With all this, my message to you is that we live our faith, because in Pentecost, Jesus our Lord proves that everything He taught and promised would come true.
In the Gospel of Saint John, our Lord tells us: Anything you ask in my name, I will do it. If you love me, you will keep my commandments; and I will ask the Father to send you another Advocate to be with you always: The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees nor knows him. You know him, because he remains with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you again. In a little while, the world will no longer see me; you, however, will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day, you will understand that I am in the Father and you in me and I in you. Whoever receives and keeps my commandments—that person truly loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them. (Jn 14:14–21) These readings have always moved me deeply because Jesus, facing the nearness of his death on the cross and even as he was saying goodbye, promised his disciples that they would not be left alone like orphans. Hence, he reveals his presence among them through the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, these readings have always moved me deeply, because Jesus speaks of those who will not see him because they do not believe in him—because they do not want to follow his promises—and that pains me because they are missing out on the best of life. And the saddest thing is that if they fail to open their hearts to Jesus, they may be lost forever after physical death. Conversely, those who believe in Him and live the Gospel experience an abundant fullness of life. They also carry the faith and hope of being resurrected and obtaining eternal life, for Jesus proved that death is not the end, but rather the moment we enter judgment, where each person’s eternity—Heaven or torment—will be determined. “Long live Christ the King!” the Cristeros would say as they faced execution, shouting those words— “Long live Christ the King!”—which for them meant: if I die, I will be raised by my King and Savior.
As a conclusion, I want us to recall Jesus’ final words before his Ascension: When they were together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Having said this, the apostles saw him ascend, and a cloud took him out of their sight. (Acts 1:6–9) Whoever receives the Holy Spirit will receive the power to bear witness. This means that a true Christian — Catholic or otherwise — must contribute time to serve in the Church, spread the Good News, help the poorest among the poor who do not know Our Savior and Lord. This is proof that we belong to Jesus Christ. For if we are grateful to Him for saving us from the fire of hell and giving us eternal life, we will serve Him as Disciples “I Am the 73rd!” “Send me, Lord, here I am!!”
I invite you to experience the upcoming Metanoia in Los Angeles, where the Power of the Holy Spirit will be manifested. Each of the guests has a wonderful anointing. For the first time, Dr. Castañón will be with us in Los Angeles. He was once a non-believer, but when he was approached to study cases of Eucharistic miracles, he discovered the gift of conversion upon realizing that Jesus is alive in the Eucharist. Don’t miss this Metanoia. This is far better than a World Cup soccer match in the coming days!!
Congratulations to all the beautiful Mothers for saying “yes”, welcoming their children and giving them everything they can give! I hope to see those of you who can attend the upcoming breakfast organized especially for you, but wherever you may be, I ask that we children never forget our mothers—both those who are here and those who have gone before us and are now in the peace of Heaven. Congratulations, mothers, and may the Lord bless you and may our Holy Mother Mary cover you with her mantle, amen!
On June 9th, you are invited to experience your consecration to Jesus Christ through the I am the 73rd project. If you have not had the opportunity to do so, simply download the ESNE73 app, register, and select this date. If you need further guidance, please call (773) 777-7773. You can also email us at: info@iamthe73rd.com, and one of our staff members will assist you and guide you on this path of discipleship.
I thank all of you who continue to faithfully make your monthly contribution so that this work — which is God’s work for the service of all of you and the salvation of our souls, so that none of us may be lost — may continue to reach more hearts in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness. I continue to pray for you to our Most Holy Mother of Guadalupe so that we may never lack the divine consolation of her Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaim as our King and Lord!
Your friend and servant,
