[Editor's Note: This is the second of a series of articles on the theme, “Being a Man of the Spirit.” Click here to find the first article.]
Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3).
The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them (Acts 6:5,6).
In the book of Acts, a Greek-speaking Jew named Philip was appointed to be part of what many scholars consider to be the first group of deacons in the early Church. He, like the other men chosen, was “filled with the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3). Being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit allowed Philip to serve God’s people. It also allowed him to develop an expectation to hear God’s voice and to see God work as he prayed for others. Thus, when he went down to Samaria, he was able to preach the Gospel with power, heal the sick, and cast out demons. Here’s how the Book of Acts describes it:
Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city (Acts 8:5-8).
Through years of practice, Philip must have become sensitive to the Spirit’s promptings and to when God was speaking to him. So when the Spirit told Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it” (Acts 8:29), he was swift to obey. It may not have made much sense at first, but Philip’s desire to spread the good news won out. If he thought the Spirit was telling him to chase after a chariot, he would do it — and the results were amazing. An Ethiopian eunuch came to a saving faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized.
Like any skill, discerning the Spirit’s voice requires practice. After all, God’s way of thinking can be quite different from ours. For example, we might wonder why Philip, whose mission was to preach the Gospel, would be directed to leave an area like Samaria, where his preaching was bearing fruit, and travel through a less populated region. And why should he approach a eunuch, whose physical condition, according to the Mosaic Law, made him incapable of participating fully in Israel’s worship?
A man guided only by human thinking could find reasons to dismiss these promptings from the Spirit. But through acts of loving obedience and time in prayer and study of Scripture, Philip had absorbed Jesus’ way of thinking. He had come to see how precious each person is to God, and he was not too surprised when spreading the gospel involved some unexpected maneuvers.
Like Philip, let us continually ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And like Philip, through our prayer and study of God’s word, we too can prepare ourselves to hear the Spirit’s voice. Let us think of ourselves as athletes in competition. A runner, on his mark, drowns out all distractions and strains to hear the signal that begins the race. Similarly, let us regularly work at shutting out distractions so we can hear the gentle voice of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is always preparing people’s hearts to receive the good news and be touched by the Lord. Like Philip, we too can have an expectant faith that God will touch others when we share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and yes, even heal them when we pray for them. Even if we are shy or reticent, the Holy Spirit can guide us, give us courage, and make our very lives into signs of God’s love to people who are ready to receive it.
“Thank you, Jesus, for giving me your Spirit so that I can be your witness. Holy Spirit, be with me today, and every day, as I walk among your people. Give me courage to invite others to come to know you. Empower me and guide me to those whom you have prepared, so that they will know the joy of belonging to Jesus and experience his healing love.”
Many thanks to The Word Among Us for allowing us to adapt material from daily meditations in their monthly devotional magazine. Used with permission.
(Maurice Blumberg is Executive Director of the National Fellowship of Catholic Men. This article is part of NFCM's sponsorship of the Catholic Man channel. Contact NFCM at P.O. Box 86381, Gaithersburg, MD 20886 or email them at info@nfcmusa.org. If you would like to make a contribution to the NFCM, just click here.)
Reflection Questions on Page 2
Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men
1. Do you believe that being “filled with the Holy Spirit” was key to allowing Philip to live a life of service to the Lord and to perform great miracles? Why or why not? What role does being filled with the Spirit play in your life of faith and service to the Lord?
2. Through the power of the Spirit, Philip was able to bring healing to many sick people he prayed for. Do you have an expectant faith that through the power of the Spirit dwelling in you, you too can see God heal people when you pray for them? Why or why not?
3. In the article, we hear these words, “Through years of practice, Philip must have become sensitive to the Spirit’s promptings and to when God was speaking to him. So when the Spirit told Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it’ (Acts 8:29), he was swift to obey.” Do you believe that God can speak to you (for example, as an inner voice or sense) through Scriptures, through promptings of the Spirit, or through other people? Why or why not? Share any examples of this from your own life.
4. The article goes on to say, “Like any skill, discerning the Spirit’s voice requires practice.” What are some ways we can practice “discerning the Spirit”?
5. The article further suggests that we “continually ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And like Philip, through our prayer and study of God’s word, we too can prepare ourselves to hear the Spirit’s voice.” If you are in a men’s group, pray for one another at the end of your meeting that each of you would receive a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. In addition, pray each day for a deeper infilling of the Spirit and share the fruits of this prayer at future men’s group meetings.
