A Parishioner Who Showed Me My Loveliness
Jesus Breathed on Them
On Pentecost, I was very struck by a line in the Gospel: Jesus breathed on them. In prayer, my mind was led to images of Jesus breathing on me as a disciple.
As that prayer unfolded, I realized the intimacy of that moment in a way that I haven’t before. My own experiences of someone breathing on me have come in instances of experiencing love and intimacy with a human being. Their warm breath sweeps your face in a silent, mysterious moment -- whether with a lover, a baby, or a sleeping child in your arms -- and you are filled with a deeper sense of love.
I imagine that Jesus’ breath on Pentecost carried with it a similar feeling of love, mystery, and closeness with the disciples.
So when we think of Pentecost, may we remember that it was an act of God’s love. It was the breath of Jesus filling us with the Holy Spirit because of His great love for us and desire to be close to us always by dwelling inside of us and everywhere in the world.
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About the Author
Katie Zalany lives in Cleveland Ohio. She is a Third Order Secular Franciscan (OFS), spiritual director, benefits/wellness leader, certified health and life coach, and SVDP volunteer. She is the creator of the ministry Women in Waiting | Made for Fruitfulness and is the published author of Called to Corporate. Her writing interests and focus areas include Gospel reflections, Franciscan spirituality, women's spirituality, prayer, and integration of faith and daily living.
