Friday, April 26, 2013
Peter at Cornelius’ House
Dear Friends,
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (10:29b-43):
[Peter said,] “May I ask, then, why you summoned me?” Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this hour, three o’clock in the afternoon, I was at prayer in my house when suddenly a man in dazzling robes stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your almsgiving remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. He is a guest in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ So I sent for you immediately, and you were kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to listen to all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. You know the word that he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”
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We had a nice day yesterday with only a little rain but it was sunny for most of the day.
Below you will find the message of Our Lord, the Son of God, given to Father Melvin. Jesus spoke to him these words,
“You are all called, My brother Melvin and all My brothers and sisters spread throughout the world, to listen and to read the writings of the Apostles for they are My witnesses. They were with Me for three years and they heard all My teachings and they saw all the miracles I performed. It was difficult for them to accept that I would be hanged on a cross to die, but they saw Me arrested by the temple police. Three days after My death, I rose again and in the evening of that day I appeared to most of the Apostles and of course they were frightened, but after sometime they accepted Me. They came to realize that another great miracle happened, My Resurrection.
“I was with the Apostles for forty days after My resurrection to help them in their faith and to finish the teachings I had to give them. They were present at My Ascension on the hill. I had told them to remain in Jerusalem and soon they would receive the Holy Spirit. Because he is a great witness of mine, I sent Saint Peter to Cornelius to teach him and his family about Me, and once taught they would receive the Holy Spirit and be baptized. All of this, My dear friends, is to teach you to renew your commitment to Me and to call on Me to give you again the Holy Spirit. He can come upon you many times in your lifetime. I bless you all.”
Father Melvin