So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized, and took food and was strengthened. For several days he was with the disciples at Damascus. And in the synagogues immediately he proclaimed Jesus, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were amazed, and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called on this name? And he has come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests.”
Showing all posts in May 2025
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES (Acts 9:1-22): “The Conversion of Saul”
Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he journeyed he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him. And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul arose from the ground; and when his eyes were opened, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.
CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD
“I am the Eternal One, and when I was alone, I had already thought of using all My power to create beings in My image” (Message of God the Father to Sister Eugenia Ravasio).
Thus, we human beings have always been part of the loving plan of our Heavenly Father. The certainty that He has always had us in mind lifts us above the ordinary course of time. This is true of every life that is born of our Father’s goodness. It is accepted, it is wanted, it is called into being because our Father has always willed it and has prepared everything for it. With infinite wisdom and care He has foreseen all that we would need to live. This is how He expresses it in His Message to Mother Eugenia:
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES (Acts 8:26-40): “The baptism of the Ethiopian minister”
An angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert road. And he rose and went. And behold, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a minister of the Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless some one guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the scripture which he was reading was this: “As a sheep led to the slaughter or a lamb before its shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken up from the earth.”
GOD DELIGHTS IN THE MASTERPIECE OF HIS CREATION
In the following reflections I will draw on passages from God the Father’s Message to Sister Eugenia Ravasio, a private revelation from 1932, which is worth reading in its entirety. It can be found at the following link:
https://www.fatherspeaks.net/eugenia_msg.html#THE%20FATHER%C2%B4S%20MESSAGE,%20book%201,%20part%201
DEVOUT PRAYER
“Any day a man gains more by devout prayer than the whole world is worth” (St Bonaventure).
This wonderful phrase should penetrate deeply into our hearts and enlighten our minds, for it clearly shows us the true hierarchy of values. Devout prayer, uttered in the Spirit of the Lord, which embraces our whole existence, traverses heaven and earth and reaches the Heart of our Father.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES (Acts 8:14-25): “Peter and John in Samaria”
When the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me also this power, that any one on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “Your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.
THE SIGN OF GRACE
‘A spiritual joy is the greatest sign of the divine grace dwelling in a soul’ (St. Bonaventure).
St Bonaventure refers to joy in God and for God’s sake, and identifies it as the surest sign of divine grace in man. Indeed, where could this joy come from if not from grace? It is not merely a natural joy, however beautiful that may be. There are people with a very cheerful temperament and a positive attitude towards life, which can be very attractive to others. But this is not yet the joy in God.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES (Acts 8:1b-13): “Persecution and dispersion of the early Church”
On that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen, and made great lamentation over him. But Saul laid waste the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to a city of Samaria, and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the multitudes with one accord gave heed to what was said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs which he did. For unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice; and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city.
THE GOOD MASTER
‘I have a good Master, that is God; it is to Him I look in everything and to none other’ (Saint Joan of Arc).
The Maid of Orleans made the right choice! “One is your Master”, the Lord tells us in Mt 23:8. Although we can receive help from people filled with the Holy Spirit, and should be grateful when we meet them, or even if we have someone to accompany us spiritually, this guidance only becomes a priceless gift when it is imbued with God’s wisdom.