Even as late as Ascension Day the minds of the Apostles had still been preoccupied with national politics into which they intended to fit their religion.  They asked Our Lord whether he was at that time going to restore the Kingdom to Israel; that is, would the Jewish nation now become an independent monarchy again.

But with the gift of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, all that preoccupation was a thing of the past; the Apostles set out with a very different purpose – to establish the sovereign rule of Our Blessed Lord himself over the hearts and minds of men and women, boys and girls, of all nations.  From now on they regarded themselves as belonging totally to Our Lord, and being responsible to him all and every day, from the time they woke up in the morning to the time they went to sleep at night.

They were utterly dedicated to Our Blessed Lord, for the Holy Spirit like a mighty wind had swept out of their hearts everything that was shoddy and unworthy, and like a flaming fire had filled them with an irresistible enthusiasm for God.  And that is exactly what he is trying to do in you and me – to replace our enthusiasm for ourselves with enthusiasm for Our Blessed Lord.