Catholics know: “The Book of Acts“ does more than give us words! It records the “Acts” that God’s first Catholic priests and religious performed with this “Hidden Prophecy” from Acts 1-7!
“As the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.”
That complaint is a “Hidden Prophecy” that led God’s First Catholic Bishops to identify problems caused by treating groups of Catholics unequally. “So, the twelve called together the community of disciples and said, ‘It is not right for us to neglect The Word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of The Word.'”
That began the organization necessary to “call” God’s most faithful, wise, and obedient followers into what would become 2,000 years of “Serving Catholics”. In a few centuries, the Ordained would be limited to those taking the Sacred Catholic Vows of Poverty, Celibacy, and Obedience. Catholics are still blessed to be guided by Catholic priests and religious with the Faith to “live as Jesus did”.
That allowed This Catholic Miracle to take place: “They presented these men to The Apostles (The First Catholic Pope and Bishops!) who prayed and laid hands upon them.”
That “Hidden Prophecy” allowed The Miracle of Catholicism to Take Living Form and last for 2,000 years, growing closer to God in every century! “The Word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly; even a large group of (Jewish and other?) priests were becoming obedient to The Faith” that was built upon The Church-Creating Word of He Who Fulfilled The Messianic Prophecies to His First Cathoic Pope in Mt. 16-18-20:
“And I say unto you thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give you the keys to The Kingdom of Heaven.”
What a joy to Be Catholic and among those predicted by the “Hidden Prophecy” in Psalm 33:22, “May your mercy, LORD, be upon us as we put our hope in You.”
In our Second Reading from 1 Peter 2: 4-9, The First Catholic Pope shared this “Hidden Prophecy” of those who would seek God meaningfully enough to “Be Catholic!” and more completely in God’s “Spiritual House”!
“Beloved: Come to Him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
The First Catholic Pope specifically tells us how blessed we are to “Be Catholic!” when He quotes “Hidden Prophecies” from The Bible in Ex 19:6, Is 61:6, Rev 1:6, 20:6 that predict what Catholics are blessed to be:
“You are a ‘chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own, so that you may announce the praises’ of Him Who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”
Today, our Catholic “Alleluia” from John 14:6 is a “Hidden Prophecy” of those blessed to be more completely in God’s “spiritual house”, His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church: “I am the way, the truth, and the life’, says The Lord: ‘No one comes to The Father except through Me.”
May all believers ask: “Dear and Merciful God in Heaven, please call me to be as Catholic as I can!”
~
Today’s Simple Rhyme: “God, move me to be one / in The Church of Your Son!”
~
