In the Holy Spirit
May 22: Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Picking up from Saturday,1 Paul runs into an entire community who are making the same mistake Apollos did. It’s not surprising. These sorts of things still happen today.
The solution isn’t fighting and yelling, but rather calmly explaining what the Holy Spirit, through the magisterium of the Church, has revealed to us.
Reading 1
Acts 19:1-8
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior of the country and down to Ephesus where he found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”
They answered him, “We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
He said, “How were you baptized?”
They replied, “With the baptism of John.”
Paul then said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.”
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Altogether there were about twelve men.
He entered the synagogue, and for three months debated boldly with persuasive arguments about the Kingdom of God.
Ephesus is about a thousand mile journey from Jerusalem,2 so it’s not surprising that the Jews there weren’t necessarily up on the latest developments. If they had been baptized by John, that would’ve been during a visit in the late 20s, early 30s. Paul arrives in Ephesus around 52, so these believers, despite being contemporaneous with Him, pretty much missed Jesus’ entire earthly ministry.
So Paul basically says, “You know that guy John said was coming? Well, he came, and you missed it.”
But that’s ok, because Jesus left us an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who is conferred through baptism. And that’s what Paul does!
Responsorial Psalm
68:2-3ab, 4-5acd, 6-7ab
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
God arises; his enemies are scattered,
and those who hate him flee before him.
As smoke is driven away, so are they driven;
as wax melts before the fire.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
But the just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice.
Sing to God, chant praise to his name;
whose name is the LORD.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
The father of orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.
God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
The first line is an allusion to Numbers 10:35, which goes: Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say, “Arise, O LORD, may your enemies be scattered, and may those who hate you flee before you.” The Psalmist adds the colorful imagery of Israel’s enemies being driven away like smoke and melting like wax.3
But the point is that God isn’t a force of nature, randomly destroying anything in his path. He’s defending the widows and orphans, leading prisoners to freedom. God has a conscious will, and is choosing to help the week.
Alleluia
Col 3:1
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If then you were raised with Christ,
seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Colossae is near Ephesus, but Paul never visited there personally. Still, they were likely in a similar position as the Ephesians in the first reading, so Paul wants to remind them of who they’re meant to be following.
Gospel
Jn 16:29-33
The disciples said to Jesus, “Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech. Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God.”
Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now? Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
The disciples think they understand what’s about to happen, but they don’t. Not yet.
They’re about to see their rabbi tortured and killed, buried in a tomb. And Jesus was right, they’ll scatter to the wind when it happens.
But that’s ok, Jesus tells them. They won’t be alone, because after all of that, he’ll send the Spirit, to them, and to us.
Daily readings are on a different timeline than the Sundays’, which can be a little confusing when they’re drawing from the same books.
Only about 600 as the crow flies, but nobody was flying back then.
And you thought Indiana Jones was all made up…