On the Walls of My Heart

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John
     On the evening of that first day of the week,
     when the doors were locked, where the      disciples were,
     for fear of the Jews,
     Jesus came and stood in their midst
     and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
     When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
     The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
     Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
     As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
     And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
     “Receive the Holy Spirit.
     Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
     and whose sins you retain are retained.”


     Over the course of my life, I have been blessed with multiple transformative experiences that have become pillars of my faith and personal testimony. Each of these moments that I hold dear have been captured like a snapshot and hung on the wall of my heart, creating an impressive and personalized collection of divinely inspired art.

     As I look at the gallery from time to time, I see glimpses of the moments the Gospel became real for me, the moments the veil between heaven and earth were practically transparent. These moments in adoration, confession, mass and personal prayer have remained unmoved throughout the seasons of pruning and regrowth and provide a constant source of inspiration that I can pull from whenever I need.

     I firmly believe that each of us, as God’s beloved, have a place in our hearts where we can return to the moments that brought us to where we are today. For me it resembles an art gallery, but who knows what it looks like for you. No matter how it is expressed, these sacred spaces in our hearts provide us with comfort and peace, just like the upper room provided comfort and peace to the apostles. 

     In reading this upcoming Sunday’s readings, God makes it abundantly clear that the things that we hold dear to in the upper room are also the things we are called to share with others in the bustling streets of Jerusalem. 

    Imagine if the apostles never shared their memories of their time spent with Jesus, or wrote down His words. Imagine if they were unmoved by the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Where would the Gospel be? Where would we as a Church be?

     Our Church, her saints and all believers are all products of Pentecost, the product of bold men and women sharing their inner hearts and sacred spaces with strangers from all walks of life. We too are called to give others a glimpse of our upper rooms and share our memories of Christ working in and through us. We too are called to preach the Gospel in our words and deeds to those the Lord has appointed to our care. It’s our mission as disciples. 

     So today, I ask you to take some time to ponder the state of your upper room. What fills this sacred space in your heart? How is the Lord calling you to bring these things into the bustling streets of Jerusalem? 

About the Author: Nicole Jones is the Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministry (Red Stick Catholics) at the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Nicole grew up in Baton Rouge and started getting involved with ministry after experiencing a deep conversion of heart at a high school bible study at Our Lady of Mercy parish. During her time as a mass communication student at LSU, Nicole became more involved with Christ the King Catholic Church and Student Center. It was there that she felt the Lord tugging on her heart to dive deeper into ministry and apply for her current position at the Diocese. When Nicole isn’t working, she can be found spending time with her dog, Indy, and baking the world’s best chocolate chip cookies.
What’s your favorite podcast? I think anyone who has spent longer than 10 minutes with me knows this answer… I LOVE the Poco A Poco podcast.
What’s your favorite saint quote? At the moment it’s St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross’, “The woman's soul is fashioned as a shelter in which other souls may unfold.” 

Learn More About Red Stick Catholics


The Well is a weekly reflection series from Red Stick Catholics that was created to allow young adults from the Diocese of Baton Rouge to reveal how God is speaking to them through prayer and Scripture. Each reflection contains the upcoming Sunday’s Gospel, a reflection written by a young adult from the Diocese of Baton Rouge and prompts for how to pray with the Gospel and reflection during the week. If you are interested in writing a reflection, please email Nicole at njones@diobr.org.