Empowering Spirit

The Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. She was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers. As Peter was passing through every region, he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed.  Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed.”  He got up at once.  And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. 

Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated is Dorcas).  She was completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving. Now during those days she fell sick and died, so after washing her, they laid her out in a room upstairs.  Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.”  So Peter got up and went with them.  When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs where all the widows came to him weeping and showing him the tunics and cloaks that Dorcas had made while she was with them.  

Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed.  Then he turned to her body and said, “Tabitha, rise up.”  She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.  He gave her his hand and raised her up, and when he had called the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive.  This became known all over Joppa, and many came to believe in the Lord. (Acts 9:31-42)

Quite the tale. Peter seems to wear Jesus’ mantle by doing all Jesus did such as having a paralyzed man get up and having a dead girl rise up.  It seems Luke in Acts had Peter duplicate the miracles of Jesus healing the paralytic and resurrecting Lazarus. 

Peter’s healings have great Jesus-like detail and give him special status among the people believing in the Lord due to Peter’s example.  Luke was not a mere chronicler of events, however.  He compiled his history with a clear purpose, part of which was to show that the hand of God was behind the mission of the Church as much as it was behind the mission of Jesus.

The Spirit empowers Jesus to do miracles and to preach in Luke.  So to it empowers the apostles to do miracles and to preach in Acts. Luke’s parallel accounts make the major point that the apostles continue to do Jesus’ work and thereby prolong his mission through the power of the same Spirit.

Do we do the same today?  As Catholics it’s incumbent we do his work and prolong his mission.  It’s challenging but an obligation by virtue of our baptism and our receiving the Holy Spirit.

Deacon David Pierce