“Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city…Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 8:5-8, 14-17, OSB)
The passage from the Acts of the Apostles reveals the divine power of the Holy Spirit at work in the early Church, manifesting both in signs and in the transformation of those who received the Word of God. The Apostle Philip, filled with apostolic zeal, went to the city of Samaria to proclaim Christ to a people long regarded as outsiders by the Jews. Despite centuries of hostility between Jews and Samaritans, the power of the Gospel broke through these divisions. The people of Samaria listened attentively to Philip’s preaching, their hearts stirred by his words and by the miraculous signs that accompanied his ministry. The authority of Christ was revealed as unclean spirits fled at his command, crying out in terror, and the sick and the lame were restored to health. The city, which had been burdened by spiritual and physical affliction, was filled with joy.
This account demonstrates the reality of spiritual warfare. The presence of unclean spirits, and their resistance to the truth, shows that the dominion of darkness is real, but it cannot stand against the light of Christ. The signs worked through Philip were not spectacles but divine acts of mercy, revealing the victory of Christ over sin and death. When the people of Samaria believed and were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus, they were incorporated into the Body of Christ. Yet, the passage makes it clear that something was still lacking—they had not yet received the Holy Spirit in His fullness.
Upon hearing that Samaria had accepted the Word of God, the apostles in Jerusalem sent Peter and John to them. This reveals the unity and hierarchy of the Church. Philip, though a powerful preacher and worker of miracles, did not act apart from the apostolic authority. The faith of the Samaritans was genuine, their baptism valid, but the fullness of grace required the presence of the apostles, who were entrusted with the governance of the Church and the transmission of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. When Peter and John arrived, they prayed for the newly baptised, laid hands upon them, and they received the Holy Spirit. This moment is of great importance, for it affirms the apostolic nature of the gift of the Holy Spirit, a truth upheld in the life of the Church to this day.
This passage points directly to the Sacrament of Chrismation (Confirmation), which is the seal of the Holy Spirit given after Baptism. Baptism washes away sin and incorporates a person into the Church, but Chrismation bestows the indwelling grace of the Holy Spirit, strengthening the believer for the Christian life. This is why, from the earliest times, the sacramental life of the Church has been administered through apostolic succession—grace is transmitted not arbitrarily, but through those whom Christ has chosen and set apart for this purpose. The laying on of hands by the apostles upon the Samaritans is a clear foreshadowing of this mystery.
This passage also teaches us that faith is not static; it requires growth and completion. The Samaritans believed, they were baptised, yet the fullness of their initiation into Christ was completed through the reception of the Holy Spirit. Likewise, we must not be content with an initial faith but must seek always to grow in the grace given to us. The Holy Spirit is not given once and forgotten—He is the One who continually sanctifies, illumines, and strengthens us in our journey towards salvation.
May each of us, therefore, pray that we may be fully receptive to the Holy Spirit, who heals, renews, and makes all things new. May we not resist His work in us but submit to His guidance, that our hearts may be purified, our minds enlightened, and our souls filled with His divine power. Just as the city of Samaria was transformed through the power of the Gospel, so too may our lives be renewed by the grace of the Holy Spirit, who is ever at work in the Holy Church.
May God bless you +
Fr. Charles
14 May 2023
