“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;

 and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,

 and to the ends of the earth.”

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit

comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem,

and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

This promise was made by Jesus to His apostles on the day of His ascension. On the tenth day afterwards, on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, the apostles received the Holy Spirit. It was also here that Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with the apostles the evening before His death and then appeared to them after His resurrection.

The apostles witnessed many miracles during the time they walked with Jesus. They saw the resurrection of the young man of Naim, the daughter of Jairus, and Lazarus, who had been in the grave for four days. Although they had good will, they failed in the moment of trial. Judas became a traitor and met a tragic end. Peter denied Jesus three times, but then repented sincerely. The other apostles, except John, dispersed. He and the Mother of Jesus were the only ones who stood by the cross.

“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy,

and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it,

because the time is near.”

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy,

and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what

is written in it, because the time is near.

These words are from the Book of Revelation. The Apostle John was shown the future of the Church in various pictures on the island of Patmos. Some of them relate specifically to our time, but they have been and continue to be veiled to many. Only the Holy Spirit can gradually reveal the mysteries contained in the Book of Revelation.

But the important lesson for us is, “… blessed are those who hear and take to heart what is written in it.”

The Book of Revelation actually encourages us to be faithful to our Lord and Saviour, even to death. Many martyrs also gained strength from this book. It tells of the persecution of the Church, of the persecution of those who are faithful to Jesus and His Word.

“A man with leprosy came and knelt before Him and said,

“Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.””

A man with leprosy came and knelt before Him and said, 

“Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

The leper came to Jesus. Leprosy is a disease in which the parts of the body gradually rot away until death finally comes. In Jesus’ time, leprosy was an incurable disease. Leprosy is infectious, so lepers were separated from the community of other people, lived in deserted places, and had to call out when a person approached them: “Leper!”, or ring a bell to keep people away from them and not infect them.

Saint Damien de Veuster, who lived in the 19th century, voluntarily went to the island of Molokai, where lepers lived. He served them and fought for the salvation of their souls. Eventually he was infected and became a willing sacrifice for their salvation.

“Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus

and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image,

and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands.”

“Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink;

let me be delivered from those who hate me,

and out of the deep waters.”

“Shake yourself from the dust and arise;

be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck,

O captive daughter of Zion.”

Shake yourself from the dust and arise;

be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck,

O captive daughter of Zion.

This verse that is to be reflected on for the next two weeks is preceded by the following one: “Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean.” Then follows our word of life that we are going to repeat: “Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.”

The next verse reads: “For thus says the Lord: ‘You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money. … Therefore My people shall know My name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I.’”

“I, I am He who comforts you;

why then are you afraid of a mere mortal who must die,

a human being who fades like grass?”

“I, I am He who comforts you;

why then are you afraid of a mere mortal who must die,

a human being who fades like grass?”

The previous verse 11 reads: “And now they that are redeemed by the Lord shall return, and shall come into Sion (into the true Church) singing praises, and joy everlasting shall be upon their heads, they shall obtain joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning shall flee away.” It is followed by this verse 12: “I, I am He who comforts you; why then are you afraid of a mere mortal who must die, a human being who fades like grass?” And the next verse 13 rebukes: “Have you forgotten the LORD who made you, who stretched out the heavens and laid the earth’s foundations? Why should you live in constant fear of the fury of those who oppress you, of those who are ready to destroy you? Their fury can no longer touch you.”

“Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel,

for I Myself will help you,” declares the Lord,

your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

“Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel,

for I Myself will help you,”  declares the Lord,

your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Compared to the almighty God, who created billions of stars, to which we would have to fly at the speed of light for millions of years, our Earth is only a little dust and man is really less than a worm. The Lord takes care not only of real worms, but also of the human ones that He not only created, but also became man for them. Jesus won new, God’s life for us, which is not subject to death or suffering, but lasts forever in endless happiness and glory. The Son of God redeemed us from the slavery of darkness and sin, and the only condition for salvation on our part is that we accept Jesus by faith and remain faithful to Him on this journey of life.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence,

and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from Your presence,

and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

These two verses are part of a penitential psalm prayed by King David after his fall. The psalm begins with: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.”

In this penitent prayer, which was certainly accompanied by abundant tears, King David pleaded for a pure heart and a renewal of the spirit. But this prayer also expresses a deep mystery concerning the creation of a new heart. God later promised through the prophet Ezekiel: “I will give you a new heart and … a new spirit.”