“With complete assurance and without hindrance he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 28:31)

Imagine being the soldier guard­ing Paul during his house arrest in Rome! He would have seen this great apostle and evangelist toward the end of his life. He has been tested by trials and proved faith­ful through all his journeys. Now Paul could take advantage of two years of relative peace to wrap up his affairs. He wrote many ...

“There is a man here left in custody by Felix.” (Acts 25:14)

If you were talking about the apos­tle Paul, is it likely that you’d refer to him simply as “a man”? Probably not. To us, Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, an ardent ambassador for Christ, an eminent teacher, and a glorious hero of the faith. But to Festus, the Rome-appointed official who was holding him in prison, Paul is just a jailbird with odd ideas of no special interest.

As Festus discu...

“We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” (Acts 19:2)

These Ephesians were almost completely in the dark! But while they were innocently unaware of the Holy Spirit, he was, of course, well aware of them. You could even say that the Spirit sent Paul as a spokes­man to “introduce” himself. And the new friends quickly made up for lost time.

Think about your best friend. Do you remember when you met? Would you say that you’re better friends now ...

“What … you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.” (Acts 17:23)

Athens: one of the great cities of the classical world. It was a cultural center and home to the philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, as well as many renowned dramatists and artists. Athens was one of the first known democracies in history, and inspired the foundation of democ­racies in our own time. Above all, Athenians were an intellectually curi­ous people. As St. Luke tells us, they ...

"About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened, there was suddenly such a severe earth­quake that the foundations of the jail shook; all the doors flew open.” (Acts 16:25-26)

Paul and Silas had no idea what God was up to. They were pretty sure God didn’t want them to languish in prison for the rest of their lives, but they didn’t know whether to pray for a miraculous release, dismissal of the charges again...

St. Matthias

It is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us … become with us a witness to his resurrection. (Acts 1:21,22)

Peter, new head of the infant church, was thinking long-term. His concern, St. John Chrysostom tells us, “was to have eyewitnesses, even though the Spirit was to come upon all. It had to be someone who had lived with Jesus, not simply some­one who was a disciple.” It had to be someone who could look people in the eye and declare wit...

“The Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.” (Acts 16:7)

Have you ever planned a trip? Maybe you’ve arranged transporta­tion, lodging, even meal plans. You’re packed and ready to go, tickets in hand, itinerary ready. Imagine what would happen if, at the last min­ute, everything falls through. Your transportation is canceled, the hotel is full, or your money is stolen. It’s hard to overcome your aggravation to see how it might be for the best. Paul’s second...

“Some … have upset you … and disturbed your peace of mind.” (Acts 15:24)

It’s a common frustration. You buy something on eBay or an online retailer, or even at the local hardware store. Then when you begin to use the item, you discover that it’s defec­tive—nicked, outdated, or missing a crucial bolt. The product can’t do the job you thought it could do.

In a way, this is why the new Christians of Antioch were upset. However, their disappointment cen­...

“When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they cried out.” (Acts 14:11)

A man who had never walked before in his life had jumped up and was standing right in front of the crowd. What an amazing miracle! It’s no wonder that the people couldn’t contain their excitement. So Barnabas and Paul seized this oppor­tunity to tell them about the One who healed this man.

Even in the midst of our own uncertainties and unresolved ques­tions, today should be a day of rej...

“They shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.” (Acts 13:51)

When Paul and Barnabas arrived in Pisidian Antioch, they followed their usual custom and went first to the town’s synagogue. There, the “children of the family of Abraham” listened attentively to Paul’s preach­ing about Jesus. Some became believers, while others invited him back to explain further. However, some of the Jewish leaders managed to turn many of their...

“We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you.” (Acts 13:32)

Do you recognize this story? Most likely, you do. In these few verses, through his account of St. Paul’s preaching, Luke has penned the heart of the gospel message. He managed to cram years of Jesus’ ministry into a few short sentenc­es—along with a backdrop, a plot, and a climax!

Let’s see… . Jesus came to the people he and his Father created, but we didn’t recognize him. And though he was an inno...

“Peter began and explained it to them step by step.” (Acts 11:4)

This is an interesting reading to have for a Mass! Rather than read the actual story of the conversion of Cornelius, the first Gentile (a power­fully dramatic account in Acts 10), the church asks us to meditate on Peter’s re-telling of the story to the believers in Jerusalem. Why should we ponder only a second-hand ver­sion of one of the most historic events in the church’s life?

Perhaps the answer is because...

“Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to her body and said, ‘Tabitha, rise up.’” (Acts 9:40)

Throughout the Book of Acts, we see Peter acting confidently by the power of the Holy Spirit. He preaches powerful sermons that convert thousands. He heals a lame beggar at the Temple gate (Acts 3:1-10). He says boldly to the para­lyzed Aeneas, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up” (9:34). This is quite an impressive man!

Today’s reading gives us a glim...

“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4)

Paul’s conversion on the Damascus road has all the ele­ments of a dramatic film. A villainous lead character is sud­denly stopped in his tracks by a light from the sky. A voice comes from heaven, and this villain undergoes an amazing transforma­tion and embarks on a whole new adventure.

What about your own conver­sion story? More than likely, it wasn’t so dramatic. Perhaps a friend spoke to you, or maybe you started re...

“Look, there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?” (Acts 8:36)

Philip might have been worried. An angel from God told him to approach the chariot of a powerful official from a foreign country. But how could he cut through the cul­tural barriers? How could he come up with an effective presentation of the gospel that would change this man’s heart? Wasn’t God asking too much of him this time?

As it turned out, God had already laid a lot of the groundwork for Philip...

“There was no needy person among them.” (Acts 4:34)

How idyllic the early church sounds! Everything was held in com­mon. The gospel was preached in power. Everyone enjoyed the favor of God. The wealthy liquidated their assets and gave the money to the apostles. This is quite a model of what a truly Christian community looks like—or would look like if such a community were comprised of genuine, true believers.

But look again. At the top of his list, St. Luke tells us that the ...

“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:31)

Only after being filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost did Peter and the apostles feel con­fident enough to share the gospel message and invite other people to join them in the church. Only then did they feel compelled to move into the world evangelizing with the reckless abandon of those who knew they were miraculously redeemed and completely, uncondi­ti...

“God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses.” (Acts 2:32)

So how are you going to celebrate the Easter season? Here’s one way the church will do it: From now until Pentecost, we will be reading from the Book of Acts every day at Mass. That means that for the next fifty days, we will be following the first believers as they spread the news of the resurrection all the way to Rome. We will be reading story after story of how the Holy Spirit empowered these men and women ...

MEET YOUR ENEMY

"Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man." –Acts 9:13

David encountered his enemy, King Saul, in a cave while Saul was going to the "bathroom." Saul was hunting down David to kill him. David found his enemy in a vulnerable position, and refused to harm him (1 Sm 24:4ff). "For if a man meets his enemy, does he send him away unharmed?" (1 Sm 24:20) The implied answer is "No."

Ananias encountered his enemy, Saul of Tarsus. Saul was hunting down Ananias and all C...

Continue reading ...

Acts 1  —  THE UPPER ROOM

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you; then you are to be My witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, yes, even to the ends of the earth." —1:8

In an upper room, Jesus gave us His body and blood in Holy Communion at the Last Supper. In an upper room, Jesus baptized His disciples with the Holy Spirit. The upper room was a place of prayer. For nine days, "together they devoted themselves to constant prayer" (1:14).

T...