Wait for the green light… hang in there… hold your horses… sit tight…

These are all idioms for waiting. The human race in general and more specifically, we Americans, have trouble waiting. In our current environment, with all the technology, everything is at our fingertips.  

We have 24-hour news channels and there is “Breaking News” every 15 minutes, or so they would like you to think.  We can’t understand why we have to wait two days for a package to arrive. We weave in and out of traffic to gain another car length, hoping we get to our destination faster.

We send a text message to someone and can’t figure out why they did not respond right away to us. 

Our impatience shows through. We don’t like to wait because it means we are not in control, but we want to be in control. 

In the hustle and bustle, we forget why we are here. What our life on earth is preparing us for. What are we supposed to be doing. 

Okay, so you decided you will try harder to wait. But what should I do while I wait?  Are you patiently waiting or impatiently waiting?  

We can take a tip from the Apostles and our Blessed Mother.

First, let’s remember what we heard last Thursday on the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. Jesus told his Apostles to not leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the “promise of the Father” and that they will be baptized by the Holy Spirit in a few days.   

Today, in our first reading we heard that the Apostles did as Jesus commanded.  They returned to Jerusalem and went to the upper room – the same room they were in when Jesus appeared to them after his Resurrection. There, together with Jesus’ Mother Mary and some other women, they waited. Waited for the Holy Spirit, that Jesus promised would come.  

And while they waited, they prayed… together. They put their faith and trust in Jesus and his words. 

Remember that prayer is a conversation with any person of the Trinity. Listening and talking. 

We hear in the beautiful Gospel passage that even Jesus prayed. It is not the first time we hear Jesus praying to the Father.  In fact, the Bible shows us that Jesus prayed often to him. So here is one person of the Trinity conversing with the other.  

And what is his conversation with the Father?  About the people the Father gave him. Jesus is praying for us, asking God to keep his disciples and us united. 

In Jesus prayer to the Father, he asks the Father to glorify him. What does that mean?

To give glory is to acknowledge and praise God for his divine goodness and for who he is. The creator of everything. Jesus can give glory to the Father because he knows him. We can’t give glory to God unless we know him.

And that’s why Jesus came to us. To reveal the Father to us and lead us to him. Jesus gave glory to the Father by revealing him to us. The one True God. 

Knowing Jesus is to know the Father. Jesus did his part by revealing the Father to us. He showed us what true love is by going to the cross. 

Now we must do our part: to respond to whom Jesus has revealed to us, by loving God above all things and accepting the plan he has for us. Even if it means waiting for it to be revealed. 

I’m sure you heard this phrase before. I know my mom would say it often. Good things come to those who wait.

While we wait, we should pray.  We can pray alone, with our family, or in a group as a community of believers. When we come to Mass, our voices, united together, give glory to God.  Prayer can strengthen our faith and help us to endure any trials we will encounter, allowing us to be patient while we suffer.

Our faith is not just about rules and traditions… it is about having a real relationship with God. We can grow that relationship through prayer and trusting in God’s plan. As we grow that relationship, we can give glory to Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit for all we have and are. When we focus on God, we will be able to patiently wait for Jesus’ return and our opportunity to glorify God in heaven.