Monday, May 13, 2013
Paul’s Imprisonment at Phillipi
Dear Friends,
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (16:16-24):
As we [Paul and his companions] were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl with an oracular spirit, who used to bring a large profit to her owners through her fortune-telling. She began to follow Paul and us, shouting, “These people are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” She did this for many days. Paul became annoyed, turned, and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” Then it came out at that moment.
When her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the public square before the local authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These people are Jews and are disturbing our city and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us Romans to adopt or practice.” The crowd joined in the attack on them, and the magistrates had them stripped and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison and instructed the jailer to guard them securely. When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and secured their feet to a stake.
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Yesterday Sunday we in Canada celebrated the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord into heaven. Our Savior now sits at the right hand of God the Father in heaven.
Below you will find the message of Our Lord, the Son of God, given to Father Melvin. Jesus spoke to him these words,
“I hope you were filled with joy on that great Feast Day of Mine, My brother Melvin and all My brother and sisters who believe in Me and follow Me every day. St. Paul did right when he chased this spirit from the slave girl, because that spirit did not come from the Father. Because he did this he was arrested and beaten terribly and then thrown into prison. He had done nothing wrong, but because the owner of the slave girl would lose much money, he dragged Paul and Silas to the magistrates. Paul and others with him suffered much for being My followers. However, what happened in that prison overnight shows that I was with him and helped him.
“Do not be afraid to do what is right, and you will be blessed indeed. Today I want you all to fight against abortion, euthanasia, the destruction of fertilized stem-cell and same-sex marriage. This has to be stopped as soon as possible or the people of the world will live in darkness and much suffering. If you are My followers, you will do what you can to end all these sinful practices. I bless you all.”
Father Melvin