05/03/2005: "Reflections on Sunday's readings"

OK, if you've been reading this blog during the Easter season, you know what I'm about to say:

I love the readings from Easter! They are so straight forward.

This week I guess the Gospel reading is a little bit more nuanced than previous weeks, but the 1st reading from the Acts of the Apostles is just great because it shows that right from the beginning the Sacrament of Confirmation has been an important part of the Church.

When we are confirmed in the Catholic Church the Bishop (or the Priest in the case of an adult convert) lays his hands on the person being confirmed and says "Receive the Holy Spirit". Confirmation is clearly what is being done, although they might not have called it that at the time Acts was written, when Peter and John went to Samaria to help them receive the Holy Spirit.

Like in previous weeks of Easter, I could spend all day discussing the implications of this passage of scripture but I feel that Easter is a time to rejoice and I don't do that by sitting behind a monitor and reflecting. I do that by singing God's praises while out experiencing His glory. For me that involves a lot of sailing, cuddling with my wife and playing with my boys.

And, thanks be to God, you should be too!