Continue reading »]]> Day 121, Acts 14

Today is all about WORDS!!!  The Power of words… the Power of the WORD!

This has been a very full week, I’m sure for you as well! 

As I write this I’ve spent the week in my position as director of a Crisis Pregnancy Center, speaking to women who want to have an abortion… and searching for the WORDS that might help a woman see that choosing life is the only good and free choice. 

I spent the last two days at the wake and funeral of a 19 year old girl who took her life… and quite often this girl could not hear the WORDS that were spoken by her family and friends that she was loved. 

 I attempted to speak the WORDS of faith and hope and trust to her poor mother hoping that she could hold on to a WORD.  Of course she is Mary at the foot of the cross and in pain… in her spirit she is holding on to the words — in her body – flesh – she turns to thoughts of guilt – anger – confusion -

And today I heard that my dear Uncle Hector in Puerto Rico, my cousin Cuqui’s father, who read our Gospel blog daily… is dying and struggling to breathe – had a heart attache because his body can’t take the strain of breathing… what are the words to say?

At the same time I think of my father who sits in a nursing home wanting to be cared for at home but doesn’t have the strength to stand and must remain there for now…I visited him in New York last weekend and to find the Words was difficult — but for him just to have someone speak to him WORDS was a relief in the misery and utter boredom of each day…

 What are the WORDS for so many of you who are going through trials and tribulations in body, mind and spirit for yourselves and for those you love?

Well there is only ONE WORD… THE ETERNAL WORD…. JESUS!

This chapter 14 shares with us the Paul and Barnabas combo — duo — they were on fire and following the Holy Spirit!  They start out in Iconium and I love the first words that capture me…

“together they spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks came to believe”2

Don’t we so often seek the words… I mean… what did they say that could have had that kind of POWER?

And I love that right along side their powerful words, were those who were quick to poisin the minds of the Gentiles against them!!!

Don’t we do that to ourselves too?  We go to church and get so fired up in the spirit and hear the good WORD… then we turn the TV or News on and or we talk to someone who is a non believer and our minds get poisoned and our Joy – Peace – and Love is gone!!!

We must HOLD ON to words that are true — and release those that are lies — every day we have the ability to hear God’s powerful words — and as well the lies of the enemy!

Which ones do you listen to? — if you are experiencing fear – guilt – anxiety – worry – then you are not listening to truth… and how quickly do we turn from truth?  VERY!

What I love is that Paul and Barnabas “stayed for a considerable period speaking out boldly for the Lord” and then the Lord CONFIRMED THE WORD ABOUT HIS GRACE by…

granting signs and wonders to occur through their hands!

IT IS ALL ABOUT GRACE!!!  I’m addicted to grace!!!

How will all these families we are praying for get through — when there are no WORDS that can take the pain away?  GRACE!!!

But those words we do speak of Our Lord will not go out in vain — sometimes people don’t want to listen to words of faith — until they are in that position of pain — and then they can hear…

That leads us to Paul and Barnabas making a quick exit from Iconium and heading to Lystra… where they found a crippled man – lame from birth – who had never walked!

What did he do?

HE LISTENED TO PAUL SPEAKING -

So sometimes we have to be LOW — at a low point — to listen — this man had been there for a long time — humble and listening -

Paul looks at him intently and sees that he had the faith to be healed –

How do you look at someone and know that?

Was Paul listening to the Holy Spirit maybe?  Paul spoke words!!!

“STAND UP STRAIGHT ON YOUR FEET” — those words alone spoken…

and the man … who had never walked in his life… JUMPED UP and began to walk about!

What POWER!

What GRACE!

And many of the people still didn’t get it and started to call Paul and Barnabas Gods!

They missed the WORD Himself showing His Power through the Word of men!

You can see in this chapter how people go back and forth — how fickle we are –

When things are going well we believe in a certain set of words — when not so well we cling to different words — we take comfort in different words depending on our mood.

The people eventually turn on Paul and Barnabas and they make an exit of their first mission and head for Antioch — they had proclaimed the good news – to so many disciples and so the WORD had gone out.

Week after week we speak and we listen — if we truly believe in our words — if we speak words of truth — they are not in vain…

The Psalm says…His message goes out through all the earth –

Let us be plugged in to the Holy Spirit and speak words of love and peace and proclaim the Gospel in all that we say — and with our lives — and sometimes we don’t need many words at all –

And let us not worry about the outcome — just be true to words – holding on to the WORD of God -

we will know what to say and we will keep our thinking pure — never to be confused -

Find comfort and peace in the WORD today and speak what you hear and know!

JESUS IS LORD!

God bless you!

Please Pray without ceasing — I’m praying for you!

Continue reading »]]> Day 120, Acts

Good Day Everyone!  Today is the Solemnity of  The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!

Notice “THE MOST” in the title!  WOW HOW TRUE!!!!

This day moves each year to always be on the second Friday in June — so as a result the Feast day for St. Barnabas gets trumped today -

- but how awesome that we are in the Acts of Apostles and reading about Barnabas and here we are on his day celebrating the Sacred Heart of Jesus -

- I am sure up in heaven St. Barnabas is more than happy to have Jesus be lifted up on their day!!!

Some great jewels today in the reading of this chapter are first of all the fact that they heard the Holy Spirit speak and comission Barnabas and Saul — He sets them apart –

and how they hear this???  It was while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting – they hear…

“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Now key here to remember is that Saul was born in 8 AD —  and he didn’t preach for 14 years while learning about Jesus — from Jesus himself — he was making tents –

I think we don’t realize all the time that goes by in Acts and the Early Church! 

It moves fast — and then it moves slow — years go by — then we see action — doesn’t mean nothing was happening — but remember just to get from place to place –took a long time!

And just an aside — remember I said the “CLOAK” had importance — we saw the Angel in Acts 12 tell Peter to put on his cloak -

- and then they threw their cloaks when stoning Stephen at the feet of Saul — well in the Mass readings tomorrow – Immaculate Conception – the reading is Elijiah the prophet and how he called Elisha to join him was to throw his “CLOAK” at him —

But then there must be training — Jesus trained the Apostles for three years — and that was just the beginning — and so we as Catholics must be constantly in training — we are never done!!!

This is why there cannot be one simple prayer and now I am “saved” forever no matter what I do — my brothers and sisters this is what some of our brethren who call themselves Christians believe and there is no where in the BIBLE that it says pray the Sinner’s Prayer and you are saved!!!

It looks like in the early Church there was constant prayer and fasting — looks and sounds like work to me –

GOOD WORK!!!!

OK so –when they complete their prayer and fasting they send them off!

 First Mission –

Now in the first mission — Mark is their assistant — (but we see him called John here)

OK so first they come across a Magician — a man opposing the faith — his name was Bar- Jesus — and he was a Jewish false prophet –

so first line of business was to go head to head with a false prophet — wow way to get in the game!

AND what do we see here — FINALLY — We see Saul so filled with the Holy Spirit that we get a NAME CHANGE —

we see Saul is called Paul — very significant — so he will do some apologetics — defending the faith —

and Paul very eloquently says… with love…

“YOU SON OF THE DEVIL, YOU ENEMY OF ALL THAT IS RIGHT, FULL OF EVERY SORT OF DECEIT and FRAUD.  Will you not stop TWISTING the straight paths of the LORD?

Even NOW the hand of the Lord is upon you. You will be blind, and unable to see the sun for a time.”

Wow and immediately he could not see and needed people to help guide him!

Way to go PAUL!!

The Proconsul whom the Magician was leading astray came to believe because of what he saw –

Praise God!

WOW the word must have gotten out — now they leave and travel and end up in Antioch –

there they are asked if they have a word of exhortation on the sabbath – in the temple –

Paul is given the microphone — (oh they didn’t have them then)… to speak –

 I guess when they reached a certain place in the Jewish faith they could speak — and they were visiting as well –

And so remember too that in the beginning of the church all the preaching was to the Jewish people and they would have this time after the law and prophets for speaking -

- and so they would teach in the temple and that is how they would then get thrown out — if they did not like that the name of Jesus was being proclaimed –

Think about how many years had passed by now — in a study Fr. Bill Halbing did — he said that Paul had to be 30 when he was of age to preach and then 33 — significant age — and that he was 41 when he set out to teach –

PS  I didn’t realize that the year of St. Paul was set in 2008 because that celebrated 2000 years of St. Paul!!!

And today we end the year of the Priest!!!  Does anyone know what the year will be this year???

OK back to the chapter at hand — I digress –

The Point is that Paul stands up and gives an awesome speech — beginning with Salvation History — leading them all in the direction of JESUS — using the Patriarchs of the Faith– using prophetic words and then BAM — hits them with JESUS!!!

It was so well done — wasn’t it?

Many there listening were converts to Judaism — remember people were being converted to Judaism — the Jews were not to be mixing with gentiles unless they converted — so evangelization was there — JOIN THE CHOSEN RACE —must have been their advertising — but now what?

But now the teaching was that they did not have to convert first to Judaism — they could come as they are!!!????

So Paul gets rave reviews!!! More than two thumbs up –Many thumbs up — AND — they were invited back — again many converts to Judaism followed them!!!

All was well — they were invited back to the synagogue the following week and things were peachy — until the next sabbath comes and …

ALMOST THE WHOLE CITY COMES TO HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YIKES!!!  Now we’ve got problems — good old fashion jealousy problems!!! OK so now the Jews with violent abuse contradict what Paul says…

OH how the tables turn!!!

So what do Paul and Barnabas do… go home crying that their feelings are hurt?  NO!

They speak out boldly and say…

“It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.

For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that  you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

Of course the Gentiles were overjoyed –

and we read “All who were destined for eternal life came to believe, and the word of the Lord spread…”

OK so this is another important teaching “Predestination”  some denominations outside of Catholic Church teach that only a few are destined for heaven and the rest are not — we see even one faith that I know of who believes it is only a few hundred thousand that are getting in …

We believe that the Lord already knows who will receive the grace to say yes and go to Heaven –

so we as Catholics believe in Predestination but we also believe that it is man’s free choice to either cooperate with grace or not in order to chose his destination — heaven or hell!

God doesn’t want people to go to HELL!!!

But some are heading there quickly — and by denouncing the word of the Lord here we see this group of Jewish leaders making their destination clear — and Paul is confirming for them — letting them know the severity!

 As the Word of the Lord continued to spread through the whole region –

the Jews INCITED the WOMEN OF PROMINENCE — who were worshippers — and the leading men of the city –

now I LOVE this point here — do you see the women of prominence first — and who were worshippers — it seems that even back then — these women who worship — HAVE POWER!!!

so they incite them — stir them up —fire them up — the wrong way!!!  g

Get them to use up their energy discussing and working them up — probably judgement – gossip

oh and the men of the city too —

and they were able to stir up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas — and expelled them from their territory –

WOW the people were so easily persuaded — because they allowed themselves to get STIRRED UP!

We’ve got to watch that — so important –

So no problem — PAUL and Barnabas remembered what Jesus said — and I love it –

“So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium… the apostles were filled with joy and the HOLY SPIRIT“

What a great feeling to know that God is working through you and you stood up and spoke out for Jesus Christ –

why don’t we feel so good sometimes — well because we are afraid – doubtful – prideful – don’t want to look stupid — why?

Simple — because we aren’t totally filled with the HOLY SPIRIT -

– I am sure that many of you know the difference when you speak up or out and you know the POWER of what you are saying because you are convicted — and when you are not sure about what you are saying —

These guys were living for NOTHING ELSE but JESUS!!!

That is our challenge today and always to do everything for in through and with JESUS — and let Him make us strong in HIM -

- through the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT and with OUR LADY as our protector and good Mother!

May God bless you today on the Sacred Heart of Jesus Solemnity — and if you are reading this tomorrow on the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary –

The next blog will be on Chapter 14 — I am working on course to teach – this is taking much of my time…

- so I will be posting as much as possible — we will keep going through Acts — every chapter –

and I like to do the whole chapter better unless it is really long I’ll break it down — but will let you know –

Next one will be sometime tomorrow -through– Monday — keep attentive and stay in Acts!!!! 

God bless you!!  Please share your comments in the POST below!

Continue reading »]]> Day 119, Acts 12

Praise the Lord we are off to a great new week — and WOW WHAT A CHAPTER!!!  Whooo hoooo!

 Amazing that the last chapter ended with Barnabas and Saul being the ones the apostles put the care of the church in when they commissioned them to bring funds to relieve them in Judea!

And now we see Persecution! –

- so… first - Natural disaster — prophesied by Spirit filled Prophets — bringing on good works of the Christians — and then Persecution of the Church —

God allows the disaster or the famine — Good comes out of it — Evil is mad — that is one way to look at it — I can testify to seeing that in our world today!

And boy does this first persecution hurt — this is the first time that we see an apostle martyred –

I don’t know about you but it hurt to see James killed by Herod!  I felt like we have been with them for a while now all through the Gospels and I imagined and shared a little bit of the pain they apostles and the church might have felt when he was killed –

Herod sees that he gets a favorable response from the Jews and then locks up Peter — and Herod’s plan was going to be to bring him before the people after the Passover — sounds like Jesus!

I loved reading this verse –

“Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the church was fervently being made to God on his behalf.”

 Now check out the scene — I mean it doesn’t get any worse than the way we see it described!!

And this was PETER — the Leader of the Church and the Jews and Herod knew this — doesn’t this remind you of the latest sufferings that our Holy Father was going through these past months — and will continue to go through — BUT see the whole church is praying for Him!!!!

Peter was in DOUBLE CHAINS — guarded by four guards — and he was sleeping between two of them and two were outside — I mean there was no way Peter was getting out!!!

This was a total set up!!!

Don’t you love the set up!!!  I mean some of you right now might be living  a total set up!! Do you feel like you are in double chains sometimes — that there is no way you are getting out of the mess you are in??? 

Could be a loved one in trouble — family away from the church — kids with addictions — no job — no money — and the church is praying for you!!!! Praise the LORD!!!

 OK so what I love here is that it was on the very night when Herod was going to bring Peter to trial the next day — that the Angel of the Lord appears  –SUDDENLY — God is always on time — never late and never early right?

Anyway — Peter was tapped on the side — what was Peter doing — sleeping — he had to be awakened –

“GET UP QUICKLY” — and the chains fell off immediately!!!

The Angel said…

“Put on your belt and your sandals”

I love this — In the armor of God — the belt is the belt of TRUTH — and Mother Nadine in her book on the Armor of God talks about how the Belt of Truth is the Holy Spirit –

So wrap yourself in the HOLY SPIRIT —

And YOUR FEET must be shod in the Gospel of PEACE — so in peace Peter walked out of there!!!

AND put on your cloak — was the last time we saw the cloak the time Stephen was getting stoned and they through their cloaks at the feet of Saul?

AND FOLLOW ME — says the Angel!

This is such a blessing this story — POWERFUL and yet full of peace –  I know it blesses me here right now to hear that Peter was at peace — he was sleeping on the night before he was to be tried — sleeping between two soldiers who had the power to torture and take him out -

And when it was time to deliver Peter he was found in peace and he was taken out in peace –

Great lesson on how to be — to remain in the Lord and in peace even in the midst of ROCKY WATERS and STORMS — Jesus was the Example for Peter — back on the boat –

This built up Peter’s faith as he says that He knows for certain that the Lord rescued him!!!

But it gets even better!!!  I LOVE the part about RHONDA –

OK so everyone is so wrapped up in prayer they send Rhonda to answer the door when Peter is there!

I love that Peter’s first stop is Mary’s house — the mother of John — who is called Mark?  OK I am not sure about this — I guess Mark is a name he got afterwards -maybe so he would not be confused with JOHN the Evangelist- — so either way — the fact that we see the name Mary the mother of JOHNhere –  says something to me!

I love that they were all in prayer and they send the maid — and she immediately hears his voice and recognizes it –

OK so that is the key — she believed that it was possible since they were all praying — and she didn’t even have to see him — just hearing him was enough –

But she got so fired up that he was there — that she forgot to open the door –

I mean we could spend weeks reading this over and over for all the lessons — basically they are just like us — HUMAN –

She is beside herself — so full of joy and forgets to execute the Lord’s plan all the way to safety –

Then the people praying don’t believe her — they are praying so hard that their prayers are answered and yet they don’t believe — the believe more in the act of praying than they do in the answer of the prayer — YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  what a mess!!

YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR MIND!!!!!!

DO you ever feel like you have lost your mind for believing in GOD”S MIRACLE!!!

Now they were all astounded to see Peter — and he explained and testified to all that had happened!!!

He says to tell James which must be a different James than the one just killed  by Herod — if anyone has insight on James and also the John called Mark situation please share!

Herod has the soldiers Killed over this — YIKES — so blood was shed –

And then in the end — Herod dies — God took him out — Herod playing God and messing with Peter – Christ’s vicar on earth — was a recipe for disaster — brought on by King Herod himself!

So the Angel of the Lord stuck him down and was eaten by worms —

“BUT THE WORD OF GOD continued to spread and grow!!!”

NOTHING will ever stop the POWER OF GOD — this is so assuring –

We have an all powerful GOD!!!  There is nothing He cannot do and will do everything to accomplish HIS WILL on earth!

We end this chapter with the Mission of Barnabas and Saul—

and we see — after Barnabas and Saul relief mission, they returned to Jerusalem, taking with them John who is called Mark —

So the mission continues and Mark will join Barnabas and Saul and this miraculous event is sandwiched in the middle—

pretty cool — builds up my faith today — how about you?  Please share!

Tomorrow Chapter 13!  God bless!

Continue reading »]]> Day 118, Acts 11

 WOW this chapter is so cool!  Yesterday in Chapter 10 we saw the scene as it took place!  The Holy Spirit saw fit to have St. Luke record St. Peter going back to Judea and report what took place!

This is significant for a few reasons — we see the outer and inner courts — there is the event – the story and then there is the telling of the story!

This is Peter testifying to what God did — this builds faith — we are told in the Catechism of the Catholic Church that faith is made strong and is released in the sharing of faith!

And so we see Peter go back and tell them what happened — and I love what they said when they heard this…

they stopped objecting and glorified God saying,

“God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too”

So we really have to be open and listen to what the spirit is doing in people’s lives! This means we have to share faith with each other on a regular basis!

You see they were objecting to the fact that the Spirit would be for everyone and not just the Jews —

This is the POWER of testimony and that is why there has to be testimony all the time going on!

In the section on the Church in Antioch –

I love reading “those who had been scattered by the persecution and arose because of Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but Jews.”

I am seeing magnified for the first time what Jesus said -

- Matt 14:27 “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.’

In this case we can see that the scattering that took place because of persecution had a purpose — it drove the apostles out to the ends of the earth -

– this is the “GO THEREFORE and MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS”

IF they didn’t have to scatter — do  you think they would have gone so far so fast?

And we can see right here in this chapter the first time we see in Antioch that they began preaching to the Greeks — they came to believe and word got back to Jerusalem!!!  So they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch!

He saw the grace of God in Antioch — and he encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart!!!  I LOVE BARNABAS —

I don’t know what it is about him — but whatever I read puts a smile on my face — I once saw a movie about St. Paul and the man who portrayed Barnabas was like a big teddy bear!

It says here… he was a good man filled with the Holy Spirit and faith!

 I love it — we see here is the place where Barnabas goes to Tarsus to look for Saul — who has been making tents — I think for three years –

When he got Saul — soon to be called Paul — he brought him to Antioch — and things were rocking there!!

They met with the church and taught a large number of them for one year —

and

“IT WAS IN ANTIOCH THAT THE DISCIPLES WERE FIRST CALLED CHRISTIANS”

And the last thing we see in this chapter is the first Catholic Charities Appeal –

I love seeing how even in the early church funds were collected to assist each other — this is true Catholicism — reaching out in unity — organized — not random — giving!

So there is a prophet who gives the prophecy that there will be a severe famine — and they organize a fundraiser based on ability to pay — and then send it with Barnabas and Saul — to take it down to Judea — outside of Jerusalem —

This is so amazing — this still goes on today — with all the natural disasters — I can remember when the Tsunami hit it was the Catholic Church that was structured such that it could collect and send funds to victims faster than any other organization in the world!!!

We are the Body of Christ — and the same way that the body can pump blood to every area of the body quickly — so too can we bring life to dead situations by the POWER of the Holy Spirit and with every member participating!!!

This was so beautiful to see at the end of this chapter!

We see the church really coming together and being built — and it happens in Antioch –

I’m particularly excited since I belong to St. Ignatius of Antioch!

God bless you all — next chapter will be chapter 12 — the whole chapter!

Post you comments below!!

Continue reading »]]> Day 117, Acts 10

Good day everyone!  What a powerful day with Saint Peter today!

Peter is in Joppa — but first we can see that this chapter is split into three things!!!

1- The Vision of Cornelius

2- The Vision of Peter

3- Peter’s Speech

Don’t you just love it — when God blesses he always groups people together and there is always a blessing a building of faith and a lesson!!!

Go God!

So first let’s look at Cornelius —

He is a centurion and a devout God-fearing man- with his whole household he would give alms to the Jewish people — and pray to God constantly — how cool –

They were not Jewish but they did all these things in one accord –

I love the time we see here… 3 o’clock in the afternoon — we know this as Mercy Hour –

back then they knew it was when Jesus died — well maybe not Cornelius!

And here he is “plainly seeing an angel” in a vision coming to him and saying,

“Cornelius”  don’t you just love the way he is called by name!!!

I love the way the angel responds to his “What is it sir?”

“Your prayers and almsgiving have ascended as a memorial offering before God”

Isn’t that what we all long to hear!!!

The angel said to send some men to Joppa to summon Peter — and Cornelius immediately obeys –

now imagine this — he doesn’t even ask why?  I mean one day this happens out of no where!!!

He must have thought it odd — but I imagine when you encounter an angel of God —  it takes on a whole other meaning!

So here we see good faithful man and his family —being called on by God — in response to his prayers and almsgiving — they have risen up as a memorial to God —

he’s not jewish — and he is visited – not one of the “CHOSEN ONES” 

MEMORIAL — so important to God — the Mass is a memorial — we remember — we make present the memory of Jesus Christ –

interesting — and now on to  PETER —

Then the next day—-

Peter had a vision — while these guys were on their way — Peter is praying on the roof terrace — I was there in Joppa — right at the spot where they say he prayed —

beautiful view of the ocean right there!!!

it is on the beach — but at that point very little shore line — so it is like you are on the ocean –

it was NOONTIME — ok time we pray to Mary — time Jesus began his suffering on the cross -

Peter was hungry and wished to eat –

He goes into a trance — and then sees a vision of a white sheet and on it all the animals of the world –four – legged that is…

and God says Peter slaughter and eat –

Peter says he could never do that for he had never eaten any meat that is profane and unclean –meaning sacred and cleansed —

for this was there law — and the Jewish law had them using meat to sacrifice to God — they didn’t eat random meat –

God lets Peter know in this visual that what God has made clean he is not to call profane!

and don’t you just love how he tells Peter this THREE TIMES!!!  Peter will never get away from having to hear things three times — of course I think of the Trinity — one for the Father one time for the Son and one time for the Holy Spirit!

As soon as Peter is summoned by the THREE men (what a coincidence)– he is told by the Holy Spirit to go and meet them –he realizes that this was the point — that it is unlawful for a Jewish man to associate with a gentile — which was what the Centurion was…

But Peter says that God has shown him that he was not to call any person unclean or profane –

When Peter and Cornelius were meeting it was 3 o’clock and Cornelius explained what had happened before at the 3 o’clock hour –

He knew that God had a message for him and he had summoned Peter to come tell him –

Cornelius obediently was ready to listen to all that the Lord had commanded Peter –

 Peter’s Speech –

Peter begins with His number one lesson — IN TRUTH…God shows no partiality!

Peter begins to testify to all that he had seen and heard — and about Jesus Christ and how he witnessed his life death and resurrection…

a true testimony Peter gives — and what happens?

POWER

while he was still speaking of “these things” the HOLY SPIRIT fell on all who were listening to the word!

This is the best part which is why I am bolding!!!  Baptism in the HOLY SPIRIT –

all the circumsized were amazed that the Holy Spirit was being poured out on the uncircumsized — and they could hear them speaking in tougues so they knew it was the real thing!!! 

And they were glorifing God!!!

Peter said to his boys…

“Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the holy Spirit even as we have?”

He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ —

This is the same kind of power we can experience –and should!

 This is the same thing that can happen to all those people we know and love out there who we know as “GOOD PEOPLE” who don’t truly know Jesus Christ –

We sometimes hear people say — oh well — he’s a good person — isn’t that enough for heaven?

The key here is that good people can be good conversions into a fully knowledge and experience of JESUS CHRIST –

NO HOLY SPIRIT and they cannot truly know God — the father and the son!

So we must be open to whomever and wherever God calls us — to share and spread His word!

In doing so we will truly see conversion and transformation in our world!

So thanks for being here today —

The Holy Spirit finally allowed me to continue with this Acts of the Apostle blog —

Tomorrow I am hoping for Chapter 11 — God is so good — I will mostlikely post during the day or night — so stick with it –

Today starts the novena to the Sacred Heart — 9 days until the great feast and in the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus — followed by Immaculate Heart of Mary — the two hearts go together!

God bless — and keep me in your prayers that I may continue through Acts and beyond!!!

Good stuff — please share!

 PS — pretty amazing that I can remember writing this blog during January in the midst of big snow storms — and here I am and with NO AIR CONDITIONING — feeling the heat — seems like yesterday we were just starting out —

GOD IS GOOD!  PTL!

Continue reading »]]> Day 116, Acts 9

Good day everyone! 

Happy Feast Day of Saint Rita!

She is the patron Saint of Forgiveness and don’t we need this in our lives now more than ever!

Today we see Saul heading to Jerusalem because the Jews were now conspiring to kill him!

The disciples had to take him down a wall at night in a basket — I mean these are tough times for Saul — and I am noticing that his name is still Saul here — so we will have to be attentive to when his name changes to Paul -

When he arrives in Jerusalem I am sure he thought he would be welcomed with open arms!!!

But not quite — you see they were all afraid of him!  They did not believe that he was a disciple now –

Saul spoke out boldly in the name of Jesus and debated with the Hellenists who then tried to kill him –

This reminds me of anyone who has a major conversion and comes to the church even today!

I mean the problem becomes that all the believers in the church — faithful — look at the person and remember their past –

Tough thing but I too remember this problem as I faced it when I first came to the church!

I can remember people judging some of my actions — thinking of who I was before and making assumptions as to what I thought I was doing in the church!

I can remember some people making judgments and accusations but not offering to help me or instruct me as I made my way back to a life of faith and Christian living –

It is a hard thing to go from a life of sin to a life of holiness when you are on your own — you have Jesus of course but you need community — so when the community is not in support of you or is afraid of you –

this is a problem –

so when the brothers learned of this they sent him to Tarsus!

that is the end of that for now… stay tuned to what happens…

In the mean time we see Peter and the power of God also telling people to GET UP!

SO Saul just Got up — Spiritually and here we see more healings – miracles – where people can GET UP!

Key here was that all the churches were at Peace –

Peter says to Aeneas who had been in bed paralyzed for 8 years –

“Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed”

He got up at once — Praise the Lord!

Do you see how there was work to do with the healing — Get up and make your bed — we’ve got to get up from our situations and then make the bed — the mess we were lying in!

So you see there is always work we are to do to work with Christ even after healing — we don’t just sit back and do nothing!!!  And expect God to do everything -

- we have to be responsible and move when the Lord speaks — but what if we can’t hear him say GET UP?

So we have to be still and silent and let God be God!!!  Only by grace can we do this!

Now Peter was in Lydda with Aeneas when in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha –

and I love reading that she was completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving.

She fell sick though… and died and after washing her they laid her in a room upstairs…

So since they heard that Peter was in Lydda close to Joppa — they called for Peter!

Two men were sent to tell Peter to please come without delay!

PETER GOT UP — and went with them — and when he got there all the widows were showing him all the cloaks that Tabitha named Dorcus had made — maybe they were for disciples?

Peter sent them all out and knelt and prayed!

Then he turned to her body and said — meaning that he was not facing her before –

“TABITHA, rise up”

Amazing!!!!  She opened her eyes – saw Peter and sat up!

He gave her his hand and raised her up, and when he had called the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive.

whoooooo hooooo!

God is so faithful and good — not even sickness and death can keep us away from experiencing God’s mercy and power!

Peter presents her alive to all the widows and disciples the holy ones —

This must have been a very holy place!

The word spread all over JOPPA — and of course many came to believe in the Lord!

And so from here Peter stayed a long time with Simon a tanner —

What I really see here today is that God has a plan — and our situations might look to the human eye as dead — and all may be weeping over it — look at Tabitha/ Dorcus — a good disciple — many good works — and I am sure the people loved having her as a disciple –

and she gets sick and dies — but upon her rising — look how the Lord used it to bring many souls to Christ — how happy Dorcus must have been to be used by God like this –

She must have been praising him for this gift — so we too today must look at our lives and the places where there seems like only death — that new life will come if we lay it all down at the feet of Jesus and not fall into despair — but rest in His saving help and hope for us!!!

May God be our hope and salvation each day — and may we all heed this precious word today!

I know I will!  Thank you for being here today!  God bless you and your family!

And there are more adventures of Peter in Joppa — we will continue on Monday — with Chapter 10 — I will be in Lancaster for Pentecost giving a talk — so if you don’t see the posting first thing Monday morning — know that it is coming soon!!! Check anyway thought because I will do my best to have it there early am!

Continue reading »]]> Day 115, Acts 9

Good Day Everyone!

Today we see Saul go from Persecuting Christians — breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord —

to CONVERSION!  How can this be?

HE was after men and women and bringing them back to Jerusalem IN CHAINS!!!

HE was on his way to Damascus — on his journey –

when God comes to us many times aren’t we on a journey — usually on OUR OWN journey — heading away from HIM!

What great Mercy does God show us especially in what happened to Saul –

A light from the sky suddenly flashed around him!!!!

HE falls to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,

“Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?”

Can you imagine answering our Lord and saying, “Who are you sir?”

The reply came… “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting…. NOW get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do”

Now can you believe that Saul who was arresting Christians — was going to just get up and go?

He did call him SIR — that was respectful!!!!  But come on!!! 

All the men with Saul heard the voice and so they were speechless because they could not see anyone!!!

But there goes Saul — he gets up from the ground –

now I love that it takes Saul to the ground and Jesus calls him to GET UP –

when you are knocked to the ground on your own journey — there is only way but UP!

But when Saul got up he could see nothing!!!

This is so incredible and FOR THREE DAYS he could not see and neither ate nor drank!!!

SO we see the number three again!!!  We see that Our Lord had to really manifest himself in such a powerful way — using Saul’s humanity — his vision in the natural to symbolize the new vision he was going to give him spiritually!

I love that they led Saul by the hand!

Now here is the amazing part!  So we must listen up!

Meanwhile there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias” and he answered, “Here I am, Lord”

This is the prayer of a servant — just like the prophet Samuel prayed…

The Lord said,

“Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is there praying”

Now Ananias ask the Lord about this — I mean this was the man who he had heard was doing terrible things to His Holy Ones in Jerusalem and was doing evil wanting to imprison all Christians calling upon Jesus name — and he said “he has authority from the cheif priests”

Then Jesus says…

“Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites, and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.”

WOW — this is pretty clear direction — so I wonder if Ananias could see the Lord?

Either way he knew what he had to do — and he received that grace –

so think about Ananias — that is the same thing as if a man was persecuting your family — and then you were asked by the Lord to go and take care of him and pray for him!

Well that happens today — we see people all the time acting unjustly and we have to forgive them and show love and compassion — wow

How gracefilled we find Ananias — and yet we receive the fullness of Jesus Christ — we should be able to do the same thing if we are full of grace!

And look at Ananias — lays his hands on Saul and says,

“Saul, MY BROTHER, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit.”

and then we see

IMMEDIATELY things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight!!!!!

He got up and was baptized and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength — and here we see the power too and significance of fasting — we see that while this was going on he did not eat or drink –

What I cannot get over is that he spent some days with the disciples in Damascus and began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God!!!

OK so wait — no catechises — no master’s degree — Saul is out there teaching right away — and all were astounded and said,

“Is not this the man who in Jerusalem ravaged those who call upon this name, and came here expressly to take them back in chains to the chief priests?”

I mean this is like the person we see on the 6 o’clock news who is committing crimes against the people and then you are supposed to listen to him if he came to your door?

It had to be totally shocking that a man they feared was no on their team?

But Saul grew stronger and preached even better and confounded the Jews in Damascus — which is a good sign — when there is confounding going on that usually means good teaching!

And all the good preaching was to prove that Jesus was the Messiah!

What a huge move of God — how unexpected — just when the people were going to see chains — Jesus does something that no one could have done in human words —

I know a Jewish man at our parish who had an experience like this — his wife is Catholic – Mary –

and she prayed for a long time I’m sure — but no mere words were going to convert him — he had an experience of the risen Lord and that was it — he became Catholic and now he is one year away from being a Deacon in the Church —

SO Jesus is still manifesting himself to those he chooses for conversion — and so again — Jesus is in charge of the Church and we just need to be like Ananias and say — “Here I am Lord”

God bless and please share!

Tomorrow we read — verses 23- 43 — rest of Chapter 9!

Continue reading »]]> Day 114, Acts 8

Good Day Everyone!

Today we see Philip moving from Samaria and head south!  Why?

Because the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip

 ”Get up and head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route”

Well known today as “The Gaza strip“  I saw it — some houses on fire when my Arab Christian tour guide drove us through just to see it –

I have to imagine that it wasn’t the best place to be even back in Philip’s time -

- but he GOT UP – and SET OUT and ran into an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury –

He came to Jerusalem to worship and funny that right after Simon and the talk of money we see the eunuch in charge of money — he was on his way home –

He was reading the prophet Isaiah — I love it –

The Spirit said to Philip —

“Go and join up with that chariot.”

So Philip didn’t know any of the circumstances — and he just went — that is how we have to be…

sensitive to the Spirit!

You see the Spirit often is a still voice that speaks to you and gives you an inspiration to do something -

- the more in tune and sensitive you are to the promptings of the Holy Spirit… the more we become accustomed to His voice and discerning God’s will!

It’s a voice that just speaks to you — simple — Go do this or that — I’ve realized that the reason we don’t hear the voice is we either have too much noise going on in our life and ALSO we are always in a rush — busy – running here and there!

I remember a few weeks ago — I was leaving the house to go to an event and I felt the Spirit tell me to go back and bring something to the event — and I said – NO – I’m late — I get there later and found I needed that item I didn’t bring!

I was going to a dentist appointment and I heard the Spirit tell me to go back to the car and bring one of my Faith on Fire books into the dentist office — I was running late so I didn’t want to go back… but the voice was so loud — and I said –  yes but WHO am I going to share this book with?

I felt crazy but went back to the car – got the book — and turned out that the dentist noticed it and wanted one — turns out her cousin is a writer and a Christian — so it was a great moment of evangelization

THANK GOD — I listened!   So I believe it is a voice that we also discern — if you are not sure ask… Lord Jesus is that you?  If it persists then you know it is the Lord —

but the voice is always simple — not a lot of details and the Holy Spirit is not a drama queen!

Anyway -

Philip asks, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

And that is what the Church should be asking all the people — DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

The Ethiopian answers… “How can I understand, unless someone instructs me?”

THIS IS THE QUESTION OF THE 20th CENTURY!!!!!

What are we doing today in the Church to ensure that people understand the Catholic faith?  Are we providing enough instruction?

The true Spirit of Vatican II was intended to improve on the deficiencies in the teaching of the faith and called for a RENEWAL in Catechises — and a new Evangelization!!! 

Calling for a new creative way to meet the needs of every member of the Catholic Church in their understanding!

SO here we see — that there must be instruction in order for there to be understanding!

There also of course MUST BE the Holy Spirit —

Philip gets in and sits with the Ethiopian!!  I love it –

Now what is so key here is that the early church was not teaching about Jesus from the New Testament — but from the Old Testament!

I think that this is really sinking in with me!!!  They taught Jesus as Messiah all from the Old Testament from the written source and from Tradition — the oral teaching — this is why the oral teaching is so important –

Not everything was written down in New Testament –

So Philip proclaims JESUS from the verses we read here from the prophet Isaiah!

By the time Philip is done… the eunuch wants to be baptized — and isn’t God good!!!!

What a coincidence that they came upon some water — God always provides when we are moving in HIS WILL and HIS PLAN!

This is not always so easy to see of course but when we move because we were told to — commanded to move in the authority of God and by the Power of the Holy Spirit — then we are sure to have all we need to accomplish His will!

 And so the eunuch is baptized — and so he teaches, he baptizes and then Philip is snatched away and the eunuch sees him no more!

This is our example — to keep moving— follow the Spirit where He leads — come and go — be not attached to where you are at the time –

this is a problem for many Christians because we get comfortable where we are at — many do not like to change — the Spirit is always changing – always transforming — always moving!

Philip was moving – going to all towns — and he could not make that kind of movement without the spirit and could not have kept going if he was attached to where he was andwho he was with!

Don’t you just love Philip?!!

Remember that Philip said – show us the Father and that will be enough for us — I think that he must have been thinking — THIS IS AWESOME — so glad that Jesus opened His eyes to so much more about seeing the Father — He was seeing Him in JESUS!

He must have been so close to JESUS and the TRINITY — Father Son and Spirit!

God bless you!

Please Share!

Speaking of Moving — tomorrow we will move into Chapter 9: 1-22 Saul’s Conversion!

Continue reading »]]> Day 113, Acts 8

Good Day everyone!  Today we see the Holy Spirit really moving!

Now we are on Section III The Mission in Judea and Samaria – and we see that those who had been scattered went about preaching the Word –

Philip went down to the city of Samaria — now remember this is where Jews in the past would not pass!  The Woman at the Well was from their and the parable of the good Samaritan –

and here we see Philip go and proclaim the Messiah to them!

Now hear this…. “WITH ONE ACCORD, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.”

So what I see here is that before we saw that the community prayed with one accord and now we see that on the receiving end… the people “paid attention” to what was being said — with one accord —

this is so important — if you look at Mass on Sunday it is hard to find a place where everyone in the pew is listening and paying attention with one accord –

I can tell you the difference because I  experienced the congregation paying attention in one accord when I was in Kenya -

– and I did not realize that there was a difference until I saw what it was like — hard to put into words but the people were one and you could hear a pin drop — no one moved — not one cough or noise was made and no one moved their body because they were so intently listening that you could feel them engaged in what was going on in the Mass and the preaching –

 I’ve given talks where the people in the audience are not intent on listening and there is a big difference — The only way to describe it is that  it’s like your words bounce right back at you because they are not being received!

 This is why it is so important to be prepared for Sunday so that the Word of God can be received and you are able to listen attentively!

That is all our responsiblity!

There was great joy in that city when they saw all that Philip was doing to cure the sick and bring people out of being paralyzed or crippled or from being possessed by the evil one!

This is Philip — the one who said to our Lord — “Show us the Father and that will be enough for us”  Looks like he knows the Father now!!!  Go Philip!

Now the big lesson is this Simon the Magician — and I really want you to read this mindful of what is going on in our time today!!!

You see Simon was practicing magic –

everyone thought he was sooooo great and paid attention to him because he had astounded them by his magic for a long time!!!

OK so we see that certain people get the crowds attention and that is where the power is — we see that on election day and with certain celebrities etc…

Everyone thought that Simon was the Power of God — that is called GREAT!  YIKES — it sounds just like what we are going through today — nothing new under the sun!

BUT

once they began to believe Philip — AS HE PREACHED THE GOOD NEWS!!!!!!

ABOUT the kingdom of GOD and the NAME of JESUS CHRIST — men and women alike were baptized!!!

Ok so are you getting fired up?

Can you see that we have a world that for too long has been worshiping false Gods!!!

The huge kicker is that EVEN SIMON believed!!!! and after being baptized became devoted to Philip!  Isn’t that awesome?!!!

You cannot compare the signs and wonders of almighty God to any false God!!!  NOT ANYDAY!

 Now when all this was happening they sent for Peter and John and here we truly see the sacrament of Confirmation!

Peter was sent — to lay hands on them so that they could receive the HOLY SPIRIT!

The Spirit was confered by THE APOSTLES laying of hands!!  There is no way around this!!

And here it is… Simon when he saw this,  wanted to know how he could buy this power!!!!!

Is this just too much?

“Give me this power too so that anyone that I lay my hands on may receive the holy Spirit”

I don’t think so Simon!!!

Don’t you just love PETER!

“May your money perish with you, because you thought that  you could buy the gift of God with money”

OH WOW — everyone memorize this verse forever!!! 

We see people in the church even sometimes thinking that their money is worth a higher position — special treatment — a better seat — some favors –

and woe to those who give into that temptation —

thanks be to God that Peter gives us this example early on!!!

 And the best part — Peter lets him know that the real issue is that his heart is not right!!!

“REPENT of this wickedness of yours and pray to the Lord that, if possible, you intention may be forgiven”

YIKES but I love it because even in this Peter wants to lead Simon to Christ!

He tells him — with his gift of discernment — that Simon is filled with bitter gall and are in the bonds of iniquity!!!!!!!!!!!

And thanks be to God Simon has the good sense to say “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me”

And so with this Peter and John proclaimed and testifed the word of the Lord —

and that is what we must do — and in Samaria — the place that jews would never have passed through — not good enough!!!

Now the Holy Spirit is going all through the villages through Peter and John and Philip!!!

Where will they go next — we’ll find out tomorrow!!!

Tomorrow 8:26-40

Please share this is good stuff today — so many lessons I want to know what you will draw out of this –

God bless!

Continue reading »]]> Day 112, Acts 8

Good day everyone!  Today is the memorial of John I — the Pope and Martyr- he became Pope in 523 –

Amazing that Blessed Pope John Paul II was born on this day May 18–   and most likely he was named John because he was born on the memorial of Pope John I!  So today is a day of many blessings and graces and I pray that you receive them all!

This is the shortest reading for this blog thus far!  Mainly because I really want us to focus in on exactly where Paul was — I think we get caught up in his great conversion — and all the power of his preaching and sufferings!!!

But I think we forget where he came from — and as a good friend of mine (Howard Wildey) always says… don’t ever forget where you came from!!!

So amazing that Chapter 8 — and the number 8 means “new beginnings” to the Hebrews –

in three verses sums up where Paul –then named Saul — was at!

First though… back up to the end of Chapter 7 to verse 58 — where we see that when they all went to stone Stephen they laid their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul!

So you see here that it is very important in the scriptures that they mention that Saul was present and had a part to play in the stoning of Stephen — even though he was indirectly involved!

Isn’t this how sin starts out quite often — we are indirectly involved — then we grow deeper in committing the sin –

Well here we see in Chapter 8 verse 1 — right away… “Now Saul was consenting to his execution”

Then right away we read… “ON THAT DAY, there broke out a severe persecution of the church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”

So we see almost exactly what we say when Jesus was crucified!  WE see the horrible crime – we see the scattering of people -  major persecution break out –

but this time we see the Apostles remain in Jerusalem!!!  That’s different!

Now this ends the section II which was the Mission of the Church in Jerusalem — in verse 4 we will begin the III The Mission in Judea and Samaria!

We see the first memorial for the first martyr and the lament — LOUD!

And then we see Saul — MEANWHILE – trying to destroy the Church!

I mean really let this words sink in!!!  Saul was trying to destroy the Church!  He was intent on doing so –

He entered HOUSE AFTER HOUSE and DRAGGING out men and woman –

now please share if your bible has different words I would love to hear what word variations the bibles might have —

But no matter what we know that Saul who becomes Saint Paul — is methodically going house to house — not leaving one stone unturned seeking out every Christian and….

HANDING THEM OVER — for imprisonment –

now there is that word phrase again “Handing over”  this is what Jesus went through!

This is when it really gets ugly — Saul searching houses — you know we never get any insight as to what Saul’s childhood or family life was like!

We do know that he was very learned and raised as a very good Hebrew boy — now we see that Saul was a young man –

I can’t help but read this about the cloaks and think of Jesus on Palm Sunday — the way that the people laid their cloaks down so that the Lord could ride over them as he entered the city and that they threw a cloak over the donkey for Jesus to sit on —

This was a tradition for the anointed king — now I’ve always read these verses and thought that he was holding their cloaks for them so that they would not get dirty —

but as I continue to study this — it would seem that there was a significance — even if it be hidden that the cloaks would go to Saul’s feet!

Saul soon after gained all the power necessary to persecute the church — so he must have had some kind of power before as well!

And he handed the Christians – men and women over to imprisonment –

When I read this I cannot help but think of the world and how it is in PRISON — how locked in chains so many people are –

and so this says it all — Someone sharp — polished and well read — has come into power by the people’s standards and has taken over and throwing people in prison –

I just pray that we get this in our spirits — that Paul was Saul — with intention to do evil to God’s faithful ones –

Remember this the next time you are speaking with someone who you think will never change –

someone who is laughing at you because of your belief!

Remember that they could be the next Paul!

Please share!

Tomorrow we read 8:4-25!!!