Praying for the Holy Spirit

This is the second day of the nine day novena between the Ascension and Pentecost. The Eleven, Mary, several other women and members of Jesus' extended family gathered daily for prayer. Eventually Matthias, whose feast was yesterday, was chosen to become the twelfth apostle. They were not huddled together in fear as they were after the crucifixion, but in a state of uncertainty, aware of their weaknesses, they prayed for the promised Spirit who would empower them to carry out the seemingly impossible command of Jesus to "make disciples of all the nations" (cf. Mt 28: 19). He had told them that the Spirit would come, so they prayed, not knowing how or when their prayer would be answered.
How much like these disciples are we: the same commission, the same promise of the Spirit, the same admonition to pray: "Amen, amen I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you...aske an you will receive, so that your joy may be complete." (Jn 16:23-24). We pray not knowing how or when our prayer will be answered, and this "doubt", as it were, can weaken our prayer if we dwell on it, unconsciously demanding or at least hoping that our prayer will be answered our way and as soon as possible. This is not God's way as evidenced by what happened at the end of this first novena. None of those gathered would have imagined how dramatically their prayer would be answered, and what irresistable power would be given to them. In praying for the Spirit to come into our lives, we, in many ways, do not know what we are asking for. Let that not be a hindrance in our prayer, but a stronger motiviation to open our hearts and lives more completely to that Power. Let Mary and the Twelve give us the courage to pray for the Holy Spirit and fear not.
Bro. Rene