Philip went down to a city of Samaria, and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the multitudes with one accord gave heed to what was said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs which he did. For unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice; and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city. Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Today's Song of Praise is taken from Psalm 66 ( Ps 66::1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20):
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
Sing praise to the glory of his name;
Proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, "How tremendous are your deeds!"
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
"Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
Sing praise to your name!"
Come and see the works of God,
His tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
He has changed the sea into dry land;
Through the river they passed on foot.
Therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
What he has done for me.
Blessed be God who refused me not
My prayer or his kindness!
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Today's Epistle is from the 1st Letter of Peter, beginning at the 3nd Chapter, and the 15thVerse (1 Peter 3:15-18):
But in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God's will, than for doing wrong. For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit;
+ A Reading from the Gospel of John, beginning at the 14th Chapter, and the 15th Verse (John 14:15-21):
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you. "I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."
The first reading talks about
Philip's evangelization of Samaria -- preaching, teaching, baptizing, and
healing. He did such a good job that they needed a couple of Bishops
to come and do what we call "Confirmation" nowadays -- laying on of hands
and imparting the Holy Spirit.
Notice that the Apostles
send Peter -- Peter does not send Apostles. In the very early church,
governance was fraternal and collegial. There was no one, single
leader, after the pattern of a king or emperor -- each of the Apostles
was the equal of the others.
But it is interesting that
Apostles went to Samaria to give the Holy Spirit -- Philip could evidently
not do that, although he had received it himself. It makes sense,
if we remember that the Apostles were living witnesses to Christ and the
Resurrection -- who better to impart the Spirit?
The words "fallen on them"
are interesting, too -- I take them to mean that the Apostles and disciples
who received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost felt that something had fallen
on them from on high. Like Elijah throwing his mantle over Elisha,
they felt the Spirit had literally descended on them, and inspired them.
They, in turn, laid hands on others and prayed over them, that the
Spirit should fall upon them, too.
In today's Gospel, Jesus
tells the Disciples that the Father will send a Counselor (Greek: "Parakliton",
"encourager") to be with them -- and us -- as the spirit of Truth, and
as a defender, as inspiration. And he makes an explicit claim: "I
am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. " Powerful that --
only God could say that. He is, you know.
And again: "He who
has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves
me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself
to him." The basis of the relationship between the Father and the
Son is love -- and the basis of the relationship of the Son to us is love
-- we are brought by Jesus as a gift of love to the Father, and the Father's
love flows into us in the Holy Spirit.
"God is Love" says St. John,
in another verse -- and love is what we owe him: "Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and soul and mind". Wisdom
and salvation do not lie in fearing God, nor in merely obeying -- doing
our duty -- but in the fire of mutual love. Not in vain does
Catholic piety and poetry depict Christ's love for His Church as a marriage
bond -- the most intense emotional relationship that humans experience.
In today's Epistle., Paul
calls us to be ready to answer to anyone who wants to know why we have
such hope -- hope in the face of terrible odds, in the case of the martyrs,
both early and contemporary. We are supposed to set such an example
as will put to shame all those who revile us.
We don't always do a completely
good job. Most sin is lack of love, or arises from lacking love.
It is selfishness, greed for one's own comfort or glory, striking out at
others out of our own need.
Fanaticism, hatred and strife
are not in God's service -- but in service to the Lie. Evil
can be incredibly beautiful and glorious seeming -- but its fruits are
inevitably destruction and death.
Let us pray, then, that we may receive the Paraclets, the Encourager, the Spirit of Truth, who will bring us through the perils of our own nature, and the attacks of the evil ones, to the light of God's love . . .
In the Name of the Father + And of the Son + And of the Holy Spirit + Amen.