Healing miracles and other acts of power were, early on, integral parts of the Church ministry (Acts 8:5-8, 14-17). As Jesus promised, he has given his Spirit to His followers to empower them to continue His work (John 14:15-21).

The spread of the Word of God

Philip, one of the seven men appointed by the Jerusalem community to take care of the needs of the Hellenist widows (as we saw in last week’s first reading), went up north to Samaria to bring there the Gospel of Jesus. The persecution that broke out in Jerusalem against the Christians resulting in the death of Stephen, far from hindering the work of the Church, served as an impetus and catalyst for the promulgation of the faith in the missionary venture out of Jerusalem.

The ancient animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans notwithstanding, they were commonly expecting the coming of the Messiah (cf. John 4:25). And the Samaritans were all ears as Philip preached to them about the Christ. His preaching was supported by the wondrous signs of exorcisms and healings, portents of the dawn of the eschatological age. The assurance that the new age had begun and the release from the bondage of sin concretized by possession by the devil and by physical infirmity brought great joy among the people. And they were baptized in the name of Jesus.

Communion in the Spirit

The Jerusalem community, central in the early Church, receiving the news of the conversion of the Samaritans, sent Peter and John to Samaria. It was a mission of goodwill to show solidarity among the followers of
Jesus, demonstrating that the Samaritan conversion has been sanctioned by Jerusalem. The main focus of the account was on the ensuing reconciliation in Jesus Christ between Jews and Samaritans. The communion with Jerusalem was particularly significant in view of the Samaritans’ former rejection of Jerusalem in favor of their own Mt. Gerizim as their official religious center.

Already incorporated into the People of God by their baptism in the name of Jesus, the Samaritans nonetheless received the laying on of hands from the two official delegates from Jerusalem. In addition to their baptismal reception of the Holy Spirit, the Samaritan converts were given through the apostles’ laying on of hands the gift of apostolic connectivity and communion with the Mother Church. As the Holy Spirit took hold of them, the Samaritans would now manifest, too, the power of the Spirit in them.

The love among Easter people

The lengthy last discourse of Jesus as given by the evangelist John serves like an Easter program for the followers of the Risen Lord on how to live out the implications of His victory over sin and death. The Gospel periscope begins and ends with the call to love the Lord and to manifest that love by the obedience to His commands. If other peoples have laws they obey out of fear of reprisal or for the sake mainly of peace and order in society, God’s people of old based their observance of the Mosaic Law on their covenant relationship with God. Jesus now identifies Himself with the God of Israel. The Father is in Him and He is in the Father; whoever loves Him will be loved by His Father, too. And obedience to His commands is the result of loving Him.

Believers of every age will know and love and obey Jesus and the
Father with the help of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete and the Spirit of truth whom Jesus would send them to be with them always. Christians shall live in the realm of the Spirit, unlike the world which does not know and accept the Spirit.

Alálaong bagá, just as Jesus has been our “way” and mediator to the Father, our other Advocate, the Holy Spirit, is to be the help and the way by which and through which we know the way of Jesus and the way to God. The Spirit is the source of truth for our community of faith, hope and love, empowering us to search sincerely for what is true and right. The real wonder of having the Spirit of truth with us always is not that no error has been committed by the Church and no scandal caused, but that over and above all mistakes and wrenching scandals, our community of the faithful has never been abandoned by God, never been deserted by the truth of God. The fact is the truth in the Church is not our achievement or the result of our reflection, but a gift of God to us! In bequeathing the gift of the Spirit to His followers, Jesus’s earthly mission entered a new phase, that of the interim between His resurrection and the resurrection to fullness and glory of all who believe in Him. During this interim it is the privilege of Christians to be to the world “another paraclete”—motivated by love, keeping Jesus’s commands and making known His truth.  

For more of my reflections and works, visit my blogsite: http://alalaongbaga.multiply.com.

ELSEWHERE in this issue there’s a story by our correspondent Imelda Abaño, coming out of the Business for the Environment Global Summit 2008 in Singapore, indicating that Filipinos are among the world’s leaders in the drive to carry out serious lifestyle changes to address climate change.

Sure, I know it is not going to happen. And actually, I am not in favor of any sort of ban of this type. But I thought someone should say it at least once.

April 23 was “World Book and Copyright Day.” The date was set 12 years ago by the Unesco General Conference to pay worldwide tribute to books and authors, encouraging everyone, especially the youth, to discover the pleasure of reading.

About Town: Open access

When you get your electric bill for this month, be prepared to pay more for your power consumption. That’s because, Meralco tells us, prices from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, its chief source of electricity, shot up by P4.7466 per kilowatt hour (kWh) in March 2008 to P10.6822 per kWh from P5.9356 per kWh in February.

Tax Law for Business: An inside scope on the tax treatment of directors’ fees

Behind the success of every business lies challenges that have to be dealt with and decisions that have to be made. And at the forefront of these business decisions are individuals who may be few in number yet have the responsibility of facing the diverse and countless challenges the business world has to offer.

Alálaong bagá: Healed and Spirit-assisted

The spread of the Word of God

Philip, one of the seven men appointed by the Jerusalem community to take care of the needs of the Hellenist widows (as we saw in last week’s first reading), went up north to Samaria to bring there the Gospel of Jesus.

Reflections from the Mirror: Working together for the people

The country faces stormy weather, says the state weather forecaster Pagasa, as it warned the public of coming tornadoes and hailstorms and heavy thunderstorms in May due to the warm weather.