May 25, 2009

Acts 19:1-8

1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior of the country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2whom he asked, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered, “We have not even heard that anyone may receive the Holy Spirit.” 3Paul then asked, “What kind of baptism have you received?” And they answered, “The baptism of John.”
4Paul then explained, “John’s baptism was for conversion, but he himself said they should believe in the one who was to come, and that one is Jesus.” 5Upon hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6Then Paul laid his hands on them and the Holy Spirit came down upon them; and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. 7There were about twelve of them in all.
8Paul went into the synagogue and for three months he preached and discussed there boldly, trying to convince them about the Kingdom of God.

Commentaries: For three years, Paul wanted to evangelize Ephesus. Ephesus was one of the most beautiful and largest cities in the empire.
Luke wanted to relate the baptism of these twelve disciples of John the Baptist. As we have just said they knew something of Jesus’ teaching, but as for being his disciples, they lacked what was most important: they had not received the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit came down upon them (v. 6). See Acts 8:14-17. We must not forget that in the beginning, the Christian language was limited. We know that the Holy Spirit is much more than the manifestations that follow the laying on of hands. So we have such statements as: we have not heard that there is the Holy Spirit, while other texts state: that the Holy Spirit be received. The laying on of hands is meant to confirm the change worked at baptism through the experience of the gifts of the Spirit ( 1Cor 12:7). Many Christians would be surprised today if they have never had this tangible experience of God. Let us not say that these gifts are no longer useful or that such things do not happen today. What is important, surely, is to believe and live one’s faith rather than to feel it. Such an experience, however, is often the shock that gives rise to a re-blossoming of our faith: it shows us that God is near, and he is master of our inner self. Perhaps our rationalist temperament and our Church life, mistrustful of all that is a personal expression, serves as a dampener of the gifts of the Spirit; perhaps it is rather the poverty of our commitment to Jesus.


Psalms 68:2-7
2Arise, O God, scatter your enemies; let your foes flee before you.
3As smoke is blown by the wind, so blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish before you.
4But let the righteous be glad and exult before God;
let them sing to God and shout for joy.
5Sing to God, sing praises to his name; open the way to him who rides upon the clouds; the Lord is his name. Rejoice in his presence.
6Father of orphans and protector of widows – such is our God in his holy dwelling.
7He gives shelter to the homeless, sets the prisoners free, but keeps the rebels in their jail.

Commentaries: We have here a very ancient psalm, fairly picturesque, although in certain places the text may be obscure, having been badly preserved.
This psalm was sung in processions going up to Jerusalem. The faithful knew God was with them and the procession was like the entry of the triumphant God into his Temple.
This explains the images we find in this psalm. The Lord God has come from Sinai to the Holy Land, mounted on the clouds, or on the cherubim. He has been at the side of his people, and his miracles in the desert startled nature (vv.9-10). The enemy kings are defeated: this is a reference to the victory of Deborah at the torrent of Kishon (Jdg 4). The psalmist then remembers the choice of God’s mountain, Jerusalem (vv. 16-17). This choice causes jealousy in the great mountains.
All ends with a vision of the future full of hope. God who rides on the clouds will manifest himself to all the nations. In the liturgy, this psalm is used for the Ascension of the Lord.


John 16:29-33
29The disciples said to him, “Now you are speaking plainly and not in veiled language! 30Now we see that you know all things, even before we question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God.”
31Jesus answered them, “You say that you believe! 32The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.
33I have told you all this, so that in me you may have peace. You will have trouble in the world; but, courage! I have overcome the world.”