RELIGION AND ART

MONDAY THE 7TH WEEK OF EASTER DID YOU RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT First Reading  Acts 19:1-8 The moment Paul laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came down on them While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul made his way overland as far as Ephesus, where he found a number of disciples. When he asked, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ they answered, ‘No, we were never even told there was such a thing as a Holy Spirit.’ ‘Then how were you baptised?’ he asked. ‘With John’s baptism’ they replied. ‘John’s baptism’ said Paul ‘was a baptism of repentance; but he insisted that the people should believe in the one who was to come after him – in other words, Jesus. ’ When they heard this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus, and the moment Paul had laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came down on them, and they began to speak with tongues and to prophesy. There were about twelve of these men.  Readings Lectures He began by going to the synagogue, where he spoke out boldl

SIX SUNDAY OF EASTER    JESUS CHRIST THE ROOT OF DAVID THE BRIGHT STAR OF MORNING  First Reading Actsm7:55-60  The stoning of Stephen Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. ‘I can see heaven thrown open’ he said ‘and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ At this all the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands; then they all rushed at him, sent him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses put down their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen said in invocation, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and said aloud, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’; and with these words he fell asleep. Readings Lectures Reflections Responsorial Psalm  The Lord is king, most high above all the earth Second Reading   Apocalypse 22:12-14,16-17,20  Come, Lord Jesus I, John, heard a voice speaking to me: ‘Very

SATURDAY SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER: JESUS IS CHRIST  First Reading Act 18:23-28  Apollos demonstrated from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ Paul came down to Antioch, where he spent a short time before continuing his journey through the Galatian country and then through Phrygia, encouraging all the followers. Readings Lectures  An Alexandrian Jew named Apollos now arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, with a sound knowledge of the scriptures, and yet, though he had been given instruction in the Way of the Lord and preached with great spiritual earnestness and was accurate in all the details he taught about Jesus, he had only experienced the baptism of John. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him speak boldly in the synagogue, they took an interest in him and gave him further instruction about the Way.  Reflections When Apollos thought of crossing over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote asking the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived there he was able by God’s

FRIDAY SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER: DO NOT BE AFRAID I AM WITH YOU First Reading Acts 18:1-18  'I have many people on my side in this city' At Corinth one night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be silenced: I am with you. I have so many people on my side in this city that no one will even attempt to hurt you.’ So Paul stayed there preaching the word of God among them for eighteen months. Readings Lectures Reflections But, while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a concerted attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal. ‘We accuse this man’ they said ‘of persuading people to worship God in a way that breaks the Law.’ Before Paul could open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, ‘Listen, you Jews. If this were a misdemeanour or a crime, I would not hesitate to attend to you; but if it is only quibbles about words and names, and about your own Law, then you must deal with it yourselves – I have no intention of makin