Church of the
Annunciation

The Apostles returned to the city of Jerusalem and went to the “upper room” where they devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” (Acts 1:14) After Jesus had been taken up to heaven, the sisters and brothers  assembled in the “upper room” and prayed for the Holy Spirit. Traditionally, the “upper room” or “cenacle” is the place of the Last Supper, where the Risen One appears and where the Holy Spirit is bestowed. On the last day of Pope Francis’ recent pilgrimage to Palestine and Israel he offered Mass in the upper room. Pope Francis, in his homily, speaks of the cenacle as a special place to celebrate the Eucharist. From here, the disciples, empowered with the Holy Spirit, are sent forth to renew the face of the earth. To go forth does not mean to forget. The Spirit enables the Church to preserve the precious memory of the words and actions of Jesus and their true meaning. The upper room speaks of service e.g. Jesus washing the feet of his disciples; of sacrifice e.g. Jesus offering himself; of friendship; of presence e.g. Jesus promises to come back to us; of betrayal e.g. by Judas and by us; of sharing and peacemaking; of birthing a new family e.g. the Church. We celebrate Pentecost today by praying for the Holy Spirit at a very difficult time in our parish with the closing of our elementary school. We beseech the Father to activate gifts of the Holy Spirit to heal our broken hearts and renew our faith community. On Thursday Mrs. Marmion and the 4^th Grade Class set up a Wax Museum in the gym. 16 girls and boys adopted the personality and appearance of great historical figures: Neil Armstrong, Albert Einstein, Johnny “Appleseed” Chapman, Babe Ruth, Sacagawea, Queen Elizabeth (Tudor), Anne Frank, Ferdinand Magellan, Mark Twain, Maria Tallchief, William Shakespeare, Jim Hensen, Thomas Edison, Helen Keller, Steven Spielberg and Jackie Robinson. Visitors could press a button and each student gave a simple “bio” of the personality they had assumed. Each 4^th Grader will remember this project for many, many years. They will be inspired to discover and become (not the figure that they impersonated but) their own true self. Jesus says: “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” The closing of our school is not the end but only a chapter of the story. We are not abandoned. We must continue the mission that God entrusts to us in Jesus Christ.