Allow me to begin with this question: Who is
Theophilus (Acts 1;1; Luke 1:3), to whom Luke wrote his Gospel, as well as, the
Acts of the Apostles?
A generous sponsor for Luke? Or, it is something like
a pseudoname of someone ?
“Theophilus” means in Greek, “one who loves God
because of being loved by God, made into friends of God by God’s love”. So,
Luke’s dedication of both his Gospel and the Acts to Theophilus can mean that
he wrote these to us, as we love God, as it is the greatest commandment,
together with loving neighbors, according to Jesus (Matthew 22:37-39; cf.
Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18; 1 John 4:19-20). Jesus implied in his Last
Supper Farewell Discourse that keeping faith in him and loving him go hand in
hand (John 14:1,12-13, 15, 21). So, if you love God because you recognize being
loved by God, then, Luke has written not only his Gospel but also the Acts of
the Apostles, for you!
Basically, the Acts of the Apostles chronicles in detail
the evolving consequences of Christ’s threefold glorification: his death,
Resurrection, and Ascension) through the heaven’s outpouring of the powerful
Holy Spirit, another Parakletos, on
Pentecost have transformed the disciples into the apostles – into the holy
catholic Apostolic Ekklesia as the new body of Christ, the Parakletos. And, how this Ekklesia
continued to grow, fueled by the Holy Spirit, through the expanding works of
Christ carried out by the disciples transformed into the apostles.
A difference between the disciples and the apostles
is that the apostles are the disciples who have grown mature enough in faith
and filled with the Holy Spirit to have been sent out to carry out their
respective missions. As you remember from the Gospel readings for Paschal Vigil
Mass and for the first three Paschaltide Sundays (Matthew 28:1-10;John 20:1-9;John
20:19-31; Luke 24:13-35 , on CycleA), the disciples were not ready at all to
carry out Jesus’ works. They were in fear and confused, also grieving, at the
day of Christ’s Resurrection, until he appeared to them and gave the Holy
Spirit in his gentle breath (John 20:22). For this reason, he spent 40 days,
before his Ascension, to further prepare them for their apostolic mission and
for them to be born into the Apostolic Ekklesia,
through another Parakletos on
Pentecost. This is why Jesus did not go straight to heaven when he Resurrected
from the dead but remained on earth and kept appearing to them as the risen
Christ for 40 days.
These 40 days of final preparation period for the
disciples to be sent on mission as the apostles from Resurrection to Ascension
were the days when Jesus gave commandments through the life-giving Holy Spirit
(Acts 1:2). In fact, Christ is the life-giving Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45).
Therefore, as God the Father gave life to Adam through his breath (Genesis
2:7), Jesus gave breath to his disciples, who were in spiritual near death with
fear, to bring them to full life on the first day of these 40 days of
preparation (John 20 ). And, it was on
the evening of the third day from the day when he gave his life up on the Cross
so that we may live, by saving us from the bounds of sin, which may result in death
(Romans 4:25; cf 5:12-14; 6:23).
Had the disciples really understood and had been
ready to carry on the works of Christ by the time of his death on the Cross,
perhaps, not only Resurrection and Ascension would have been altogether, but
also that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit might have taken place much earlier
than the day of Pentecost. Why? Because Jesus not only spent nearly 3 years in
teaching what it means to follow his way, meaning what it means to carry out
his works by bearing their cross, through their mission journey from Galilee to
Jerusalem. And, on the night before his death on the Cross, Jesus gave a
comprehensive review of all the things he had taught by his preaching and
demonstrations of signs, as written in John 14-16, known as Jesus’ Last Supper
Farewell Discourse, followed by his High Priestly Prayer in John 17.
Jesus gave his disciples everything necessary before
he died on the Cross. Yet, it was found that they were not yet really ready for
their mission when he rose from the dead on the third day. Therefore, he had to
spend 40 days to make sure of their competence and readiness, starting on the
evening of his Resurrection, by breathing his Holy Spirit upon them.
And it really worked! We have read series of
testimonies how his 40 days of post-resurrection prep course for the
apostleship worked upon Pentecost, as we have been reading excerpts from the
Acts of the Apostles throughout Paschaltide.
In comparing the disciples in the canonical Gospels and the disciples as
the apostles in the Acts of the Apostles, you can see how 40 days of prep
course given by Christ with the empowerment through the Baptism in the Holy
Spirit on Pentecost had really transformed them. And, we are called for this
kind of transformation throughout Paschaltide.
As we have gone through these first 40 days of
Paschaltide, reflecting back the Gospel
reading for the last two Sundays, Jesus is confident that we can take over his
works, based on his commandments, and do even greater upon his Ascension,
without fear, as our faith is him is strong
(John 14:11-12). This means that we love him, and we will continue to
carry on and expand his works of love, as commanded by him (John 14:15), so
that he can reveal himself to us out of his love for us, just as the Father
also loves him and us (John 14:21). Yes, as we continue doing his works out of
our faith and love in Christ, he reveals himself to us, even after
Ascension! And, it also takes the Holy
Spirit, another Parakletos (John
14:16), the Holy Spirit. For example, Christ reveals himself to us in the
Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, by the power of the Holy Spirit, who
transubstantiates bread and wine upon epiclesis, as to nourish his hard working
workers upon his Ascension.
It is important to note the importance of the Holy
Spirit. In a way, Jesus really wants us to understand how critical the Holy
Spirit is, as we go on his way toward the Father for the ultimate unity,
reflected in John 17:21. Unless we are filled with the Holy Spirit through the
Baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5).
Christ has promised that the Holy Spirit, as another
Parakletos, serves us as the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17) and will teach us all
we need to know as he continue to guide us as our shepherd, just as the Good
Shepherd, even after his Ascension (John 14:26). Also, the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit of
Wisdom may reveal to us the full knowledge of Triune God (Ephesians 1:17)! Furthermore, Paul indicates that we may come
to know how great our inheritances as we grow into holiness, because our
Baptism in the Holy Spirit ensures our eyes of faith are enlightened, enabled
to see what naked eyes may not see, entitling us to hope (Ephesians 1:18).
Therefore, for us to keep all of the three: faith, hope , and love, all the
way, the Holy Spirit, another Parakletos,
who is given to us, as a graduation present for successfully completing
Christ’s 40-day final prep course for making the Kingdom to come on earth by
carrying on his mission expansively to all nations.
This way, in the meantime, Christ can work on hour
heavenly places for our inheritance (John 14:2-3), while he continues to be
with us as one body, as its head, to which we are connected as one (Ephesians
1:22-23), the Ekklesia, who is born
with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Our connection to Christ as one even after
his Ascension, Christ as the head and we the rest of the body (Colossians 1:18),
is just like how we remain with Christ as the vine and its branches (John
15:1-10). And to ensure all of these, the risen Christ needed to Ascend to be
seated at the right hand of the Father for his authority (Ephesians 1:20-21),
to ensure the authentic power of the Holy Spirit, another Parakletos, being with us (John 16:7). But, unless our eyes of
heart – eyes of faith – is enlightened by the Holy Spirit, the wisdom, (Ephesians
1:17-18; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:8; cf. 1 Corinthians 1:24,30; cf. Proverbs 8), we
may not be able to further expand the works of Christ globally through our
evangelization, catechization, and charismatization, because of the
difficulties to see the oneness with Christ, remaining beyond his Ascension.
Therefore, let us look forward to receiving the
mighty Holy Spirit, another Parakletos,
who is the Christ the Wisdom, through on Pentecost! God, who is love (1 John
4:8, 16), is sending another Parakletos,
out of love, just as He has sent the first Parakletos,
Christ, out of love (John 3:16), through the incarnation of the Logos-Theos (John 1:1, 14), by the power
of the Holy Spirit, impregnating Mary the Virgin (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35)!
Remember, we are the Theophilus, who are loved by God and who love God. And,
love is above faith and hope (1 Corinthians 13:13), which is the heart of all
Christ’s commandments (John 13:34-35), which we carry out with our faith and
love in him (John 14:1, 11-12, 15, 21).
Filled with the Holy Spirit, let us go on the way of
Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the eternal life, to the Father (John
14:6), doing his works on a greater scale (John 14:12), by making disciples of
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), as he, the Immanuel (Matthew 1:23; cf. Isaiah
7:14), will remain with us always until the eschatos
(Matthew 28:20; cf. John 14:16, 18-20; cf. Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18).
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