August 24, 2014
Paul in Athens
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles 17, 16 – 21:
While Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens, he grew exasperated at the sight of the city full of idols. So he debated in the synagogue with the Jews and with the worshipers, and daily in the public square with whoever happened to be there. Even some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers engaged him in discussion. Some asked, “What is the scavenger trying to say?” Others said, “He sounds like a promoter of foreign deities,” because he was preaching about ‘Jesus’ and ‘Resurrection.’ They took him and led him to the Areopagus and said, “May we learn what this new teaching is that you speak of? For you bring some strange notions to our ears; we should like to know what these things mean.” Now all the Athenians as well as the foreigners residing there used their time for nothing else but telling or hearing something new.
While I was in Africa, one day a man and his wife came to see me. They asked me to pray over them as they were both possessed by evil spirits. I began to pray over them and both fell on the floor and began shouting loudly. Indeed they were possessed by evil spirits. So I said these words, “In the name of Our Lord, get out of them you evil spirits and go were you came from.” They even shouted more loudly but after a few minutes they stop shouting and they woke up. I helped them to get up and they were both completely freed from these evil spirits. Thank you Lord for helping them.
Below you will find the message of Our Lord and Savior given to Father Melvin. Jesus spoke to him these words,
“I call you My brother Melvin and all My brothers and sisters who live in union with Me, to do all that I command you to do. Saint Paul was always ready to do what I asked of him. One day I sent him to Athens in Greece and at that time there were no Christians living there. He spoke to the Jews and to the Greeks about Me. He was not happy to see all these places dedicated to idols. The people called him to the Areopagus (a place to speak to the people in Athens) and they wanted to learn about the new religion that he spoke about. They found his ideas were strange such as the idea of resurrection and the name Jesus. They had never learned about Me or heard that a person had resurrected from the dead. So Saint Paul decided to meet the people at this place and to speak to them about the Savior of the world. This will continue tomorrow.
You are all called to follow Saint Paul and be ready to speak to any person who wants to listen to you. You will speak about Me and I will enlighten you to speak as you should. Pray every day for the graces you need to do what I ask of you. I bless you all.”
Father Melvin
P.S. We had a beautiful sunny afternoon and it is warm. Let us bless the Lord.