Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

Although most of the Acts of the Apostles concentrates on the activities of Saints Peter and Paul, today we read a story concerning Philip, a story that has always inspired and intrigued me.  The story also includes an Ethiopian eunuch who had been in Jerusalem for the Feast of Jewish Pentecost, the day on which the Jewish people commemorate the establishment of the Sinai covenant.  (You will remember that the Pentecost story tells us that people converged on Jerusalem from all over the then known world to celebrate this feast.)

There is one detail in the story that baffles me.  Philip came upon the Ethiopian eunuch while he was reading the Prophet Isaiah while seated in his chariot. In 21st century terms where people carry their Kindle or Nook with them wherever they go, this does not seem all that extraordinary. Yet when we remember the historical period, the fact that this man would have had a personal scroll of the Prophet Isaiah is astounding. That he would be traveling with it is even more astounding. Scrolls of the Scriptures were and are still considered sacred objects and were kept in the synagogues much the same way we reserve the Blessed Sacrament. We live in a time when the Bible is the most frequently published book in history. This event happened long before Mr. Gutenberg invented the printing press.

Of course this little detail, while fascinating, has little to do with the actual message of the text; namely, the lengths to which the apostles were willing to go in order to proclaim the name of Jesus.  Philip's encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch and the preceding story about his travels to Samaria indicate that what began as a Jerusalem ministry was moving beyond the confines of that city to the surrounding countryside. Before long, especially through the ministry of Paul, the apostles would be reaching into the entire world as it was known at that time.

The word "apostle" means "one who is sent." The Acts of the Apostles bears witness to the fact that all of us are sent to proclaim the Good News. Most of us do that through the example of our lives. What message are we proclaiming today?  Do our lives bear witness to the death and resurrection of Jesus?  Is his “new” commandment to love others as he has loved us clearly evident in our lives?

Whenever our world is shattered by some act of terrorism or by some natural disaster, we see faith at work in the rescue efforts, in the assistance that people offer, in the donations that people make.  The question remains, however; do we need such extraordinary circumstances to practice our faith?  I have always admired the “Random Acts of Kindness” movement particularly because it does not way for dire situations to spread the faith we have in Jesus.  Waiting for the opportune time to live our Christian faith is not part of the formula!

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator