Today, we hear one of the most dramatic scenes from our readings from Acts during the Easter season, as Paul and his companion are brought before the court, flogged, and thrown into jail. Paul, Silas, and the rest of the prisoners are freed from prison from an earthquake that happened in response to the prayers and hymns that Paul and Silas offered. The guard, who was responsible for the security of the prisoners, prepared to kill himself out of shame for having failed his responsibilities. Yet, Paul tells him not to harm himself, that Paul and the others are not going to escape. This brings about a conversion in the heart of the guard. We don’t hear the end of the story, which concludes with the magistrates setting Paul and Silas free and apologizing for having treated them as Roman citizens in such an unlawful and undignified way. In the midst of our hardships and sufferings, God can still be at work in our lives and there are still blessings to discover. Out of the harsh circumstances which met Paul, Silas and prison guard, a story of conversion and Christ’s love developed.
I want to mention a very interesting commemoration on this date. May 7 is also the anniversary of an apparition of the Archangel Raphael who appeared to the priests in the Church of San Lorenzo in the city of Cordova, Spain in the year 1578. The city was experiencing a major epidemic in which many people were dying. On May 7, San Rafael appeared and said, “I swear by Jesus Crucified, I'm Rafael the Angel whom God put as the keeper of the city." After that, people did not die any more because of plague. A major church was erected in the 18th and 19th century to symbolize the city being protected under the Archangel Raphael. May we give thanks for the many ways God blesses us on our journey of faith.
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