Whenever we think about the future, there will be two things that come to mind – curiosity and anxiety.
Generally, we are quite curious about the future and what it holds for us. Some people would even bring their curiosity to another level by consulting horoscopes and whatever in order to know about what the future will be like for them.
But whether we know what the future is or not, there will be this feeling of anxiety, leading us to worry about something that is not within our control.
So if the past is history, then the future is mystery. But it is the feast of the Ascension that we get a glimpse of our future – our eternal future.
At the Resurrection of Jesus that we celebrated 40 days ago, Christ gave us a new life of grace.
The Ascension of our Lord reveals to us that where Jesus has ascended, we too will be there with Him in heaven.
So our eternal future is revealed to us in the Ascension of our Lord – where He is, we too will be there one day.
But until that day comes, the next big question is what will our earthly future be like?
That question is answered in the 1st reading and also in the gospel.
For the next nine days up to the feast of Pentecost, we are to wait and keep watch in prayer for the promise of God – the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit will give us the power to live up to our baptismal commitment to the Lord.
The Holy Spirit will also help us to live our lives here on earth so as to prepare for our lives in heaven.
So these nine days of prayer are meant for us to renew and reinforce our prayer life as we let our lives be directed by the Holy Spirit.
There are many prayers to the Holy Spirit but one of the simplest is to meditate on the Descent of the Holy Spirit in the 3rd Glorious Mystery of the Rosary.
The Holy Spirit is the promise of God who will lead us to heaven.
The Holy Spirit is also the power of God, who will be our comfort and consolation when we are troubled by worry and anxiety about the future.