"How the Apostles finally overcame
their lingering doubts."

One line in today's Gospel reading seems to disprove the old adage: "Seeing is believing."

St. Matthew begins by telling us that the eleven apostles had journeyed to a mountain in Galilee. But this was not any old mountain; it was a mountain that had been specifically pointed out to them by the risen Christ. (Remember--on Easter Sunday morning Jesus had appeared to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary and he had given them clear instructions: first, they were to tell the apostles that he was alive; and then, they were to tell the apostles to go to Galilee, where he promised to appear to them.)

So there they were--at last. It was Ascension Thursday, and they had arrived at the mountain in Galilee which Jesus had designated. At this point I think it's also important to note that Jesus had not been inactive during this 40-day period. As the Scriptures make clear, he had spent this time appearing to many of his followers in many different places. St. Paul witnesses to this in 1 Corinthians 15 when he says, "I handed on to you first of all what I myself received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that he was buried and, in accordance with the Scriptures, rose on the third day; that he was seen by Cephas, then by the Twelve. After that he was seen by five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still alive, although some have fallen asleep . . ." St. Luke, in today's first reading from Acts 1, says something very similar: "[Jesus]," he tells us, "presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God."

And yet, listen to how these same disciples responded when they finally saw the Lord at the very place where he had promised to appear to them! St. Matthew writes: "When they saw him, they worshipped, but they doubted." Despite our Lord's prediction, despite the fact that they (the apostles) and many others had already seen Jesus risen and alive, some in their number still doubted! As I said a few moments ago: here the old adage is proven false. Sometimes, apparently, seeing is not believing!

How did these apostles finally overcome their lingering doubts? That's a very important question, because (as we all know) the temptation to doubt God's presence, love and mercy is a very common one! John Henry Newman once said that "ten thousand difficulties do not make a doubt;" but all too often life's difficulties (the trials, the disappointments, the anxieties) do lead people to doubt. Perhaps they've even led some of us to falter in our belief--at least a little bit.

To discover how the apostles overcame their doubts, we need to look once again to the Scriptures. St. Luke tells us in Acts 1 that after the Ascension the eleven went back to Jerusalem, to the Upper Room where the Last Supper had taken place. The Blessed Mother joined them, as did some other women, and some other relatives of Jesus. There, Luke says, "they devoted themselves to constant prayer." Now what exactly were they praying for? Probably for the "gift" that Jesus had promised to send them from on high. That gift, of course, was the Holy Spirit, although the apostles probably didn't realize it at the time. Incredibly, they only understood the gift after they had received it.

So--they met together, supported one another in a community of faith, and they prayed for the Holy Spirit. That was the apostolic formula which finally set them free from all doubt. And please remember: they met and prayed in this fashion for nine days. That's significant. As I've said before, this nine day period of prayer constituted the very first novena. It was made by the apostles, and it was to the Holy Spirit.

Once again this year, I invite you to make a novena to the Holy Spirit with me. If you're doubting the Lord or some truth of the Catholic faith at the present time, then you definitely need to do this. If you're not, then you could make the novena for someone else--perhaps a friend or a relative who is currently struggling with their faith. Or you could pray the novena to ask God for a deeper outpouring of the gifts of the Spirit in your life. Faith, hope, love, wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord, tongues, prophecy: these are just some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit which are available to all of us for the asking.

I will conclude my homily now by reading the novena prayer. This will get us started. Please take a copy of this prayer with you when you leave Mass today, so that you can continue praying it daily, until we gather to celebrate the feast of Pentecost a week from Sunday. When that day arrives, it's my prayer that we will have a "doubt-free" parish.

Holy Spirit, third Person of the Blessed Trinity, Spirit of truth, love and holiness, proceeding from the Father and the Son, and equal to Them in all things, I adore you and love you with all my heart.

Dearest Holy Spirit, confiding in your deep, personal love for me, I am making this novena for the following request, if it should be your Holy Will to grant it: (Mention your request).

Teach me, Divine Spirit, to know and seek my last end; grant me the holy fear of God; grant me true contrition and patience. Do not let me fall into sin. Give me an increase of faith, hope, and charity, and bring forth in my soul all the virtues proper to my state in life.

Make me a faithful disciple of Jesus and an obedient child of the Church.