July 17, 2014
Philip and the Ethiopian
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles 8, 26 – 40:
Then the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, “Get up and head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route.” So he got up and set out. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, that is, the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, “Go and join up with that chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him. This was the scripture passage he was reading:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opened not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who will tell of his posterity? For his life is taken from the earth.”
Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply, “I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him. As they traveled along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?” Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and he baptized him. When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but continued on his way rejoicing. Philip came to Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good news to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
I had a healing Mass at the Chapel of Our Lady of Prince Edward Island and there was a woman there who walked with a cane. During the Healing Service she came up and I prayed asking the Lord Jesus to heal her so she could walk without any trouble. At the end of the service this lady came to me and offered me her cane saying, “I am healed so I do not need this cane anymore. You can keep it.” Yes, she was completely healed and never needed her cane anymore.
Below you will find the message of Our Lord and Savior given to Father Melvin. Jesus spoke to him these words,
“Oh, I wish that you all would listen to the Holy Spirit and do what He ask of you especially you My brother Melvin and all My brothers and sisters who believe in Me as your Savior. In the above reading you see that the Apostle Philip is very attentive to the Holy Spirit and he does exactly what the Spirit tells him. One day the Holy Spirit told Philip to get up and to follow along the road to Gaza. Immediately he got up and went and after a time he saw a chariot going along the road. The Holy Spirit told him to go up to the chariot. The Ethiopian who was in the chariot was reading a passage from the Prophet Isaiah and the man did not understand what the passage was about. He invited Philip to sit in the chariot with him and to explain what the passage meant. Philip inspired by the Holy Spirit told him all about Me who came into the world to save the human race. He explain to this Ethiopian all that I had suffered and also about My resurrection. At the end the Ethiopian wanted to be baptized and so they stop at some water and Philip baptized him and he became a Christian.
You see what happens when you listen to the Holy Spirit. Philip by following the Spirit was instrumental that this man was converted and was baptized. Be always ready to help any one in need and to teach them about Me. I bless you all.”
Father Melvin
P.S. We had some rain today Wednesday and the farmers were pleased for sure because we did not have much rain during the last few weeks. May the Lord bless you all.