"When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit." —Acts 8:15
For believers who have accepted Jesus Christ, the power of God will fully work in him or her so they could serve more people with the power of the Holy Spirit. The twelve apostles, when they were first called to be disciples of Jesus, realized their inadequacy because their profession was fishermen who daily interacted with the sea, with any kind of fish and nets. How could those who were not educated at that time suddenly taught theology and philosophy from village to village, from city to city and even across to foreign islands and countries?
Moreover, the apostle Peter who was chosen by Jesus became the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church, until now. Something absolutely impossible for a human like us to believe in such a life story. No one in this world can understand the mind and will of God. If He has willed, then nothing could run away. We can only surrender and be ready to work together and follow His direction in various occasions in our daily lives.
Actually, we are present in the world because each of us was given a mission, a task and a trust by God. Everything that has happened to us since the beginning of our presence in the world until now, is a mystery. When we were born, were we given the choice to be born into a certain family or to be born into a certain country or city or village? God gives us freedom in many ways, one of which is the freedom to answer His call. God's voice is hard to hear in the midst of the noise. It's easier to hear if we are close to our own hearts through inner silence. How can we know our mission if we don't give room to God's voice and God's will?
We have been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, let us fully believe that God the Holy Spirit is working within us, so that we are not complacent with worldly matters but also think about the provision of our life in the hereafter, namely the mission of our presence in this world.
Reflection on Acts 8:14-17 by Sr. Yanti Purnawati SFSC
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