Together, Devoted to Prayer
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
Acts 1:13-14
When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying… All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Grace Prayed For
Lord, knit our hearts together in prayer as we approach Pentecost. May our common waiting deepen our common life.
Reflection
One hundred twenty people in an upper room, devoted with one accord to prayer. This is the womb from which the church is born.
The details are worth sitting with. They are together — the same Greek word, homothumadon, used throughout Acts to describe the early church’s unity of heart and mind. This is not mere physical proximity; it is a shared orientation, a unanimous leaning toward the same hope.
And among them: Mary, the mother of Jesus. She who first said yes to the Spirit’s coming at the Annunciation is now waiting again — with the same receptive posture — for the Spirit’s new outpouring. She has been through more than any of them. She stood at the foot of the cross. She has seen the Risen Lord. And now she prays with the rest.
There is something beautiful and important in this: Mary is not above the prayer meeting. She is in it. The mother of the Lord is a participant in the community of disciples, not a figure above them. The Spirit that once overshadowed her will overshadow the whole assembly.
For small groups: your own gatherings, at their best, resemble this upper room — people from different walks of life, different temperaments, perhaps different stages of faith, united by one accord in prayer. This is not incidental to spiritual life; it is central to it. The Spirit comes to a community of prayer.
As you approach Pentecost, let these final days be genuinely prayerful for your group. Not merely discussion about prayer — actual prayer together. Unanimous. Expectant. Open.
The fire is coming. Tend the altar.
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Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post