Reflection on Acts 1:8
“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. When Christ rose from the dead, the apostles were unable to believe this fact until He appeared to them; even though He had reminded them several times that He would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. What change took place in the apostles after the sending of the Holy Spirit? The spirit of fear that held sway over them definitely left them. The Holy Spirit gave them inner strength – spiritual dynamis – and they became true witnesses, martyrés. Finally, all of them, except John, bore witness to Jesus by their martyrdom. Unlike them, John had experienced his spiritual martyrdom when standing by the cross.
The descent of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem marked the birth of the Church. The Holy Spirit empowered not only the disciples but also all other Christians to remain faithful, especially when bloody persecution of Christians broke out in the Roman Empire, beginning with Emperor Nero. It lasted until 313, when religious freedom was declared. Not tens but hundreds of thousands of martyrs were empowered by the Holy Spirit to remain faithful, to be true martyrés, witnesses of Christ. But the Holy Spirit is at work today as well. Therefore, it is necessary not only to experience the renewal by the Holy Spirit or the baptism by the Holy Spirit, but also to return again to the original fervour. The spirit of this world, especially through the internet, smartphones and the immoral gender ideology associated with the promotion of sodomy, is especially influencing the younger generation, so we must ask for the power and light of the Holy Spirit to be able to find the right direction in our time. We really need the power of the Holy Spirit today. “Ask and you shall receive!” The apostles persevered in prayer for nine days and then the Holy Spirit came upon them. All of you who take part in spiritual formation or Fatima Saturdays, that is, dedicate one day a month to prayer, experience the filling of the Holy Spirit in this very prayer over and over again. At the same time, the promise is fulfilled in you that if two or three unite in prayer, God will give them what they ask for, and especially give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. This experience of receiving the Holy Spirit anew is also shared by the women who come together for prayer weekends and who themselves testify to many experiences and extraordinary interventions of God that are an encouragement both to themselves and to others.
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