Acts 19, 1-7 The holy Spirit came upon them

Acts 19

(Acts 19, 1-7) The holy Spirit came upon them

[1] While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior of the country and came (down) to Ephesus where he found some disciples. [2] He said to them, "Did you receive the holy Spirit when you became believers?" They answered him, "We have never even heard that there is a holy Spirit." [3] He said, "How were you baptized?" They replied, "With the baptism of John." [4] Paul then said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." [5] When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. [6] And when Paul laid (his) hands on them, the holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. [7] Altogether there were about twelve men.

(CCC 1288) "From that time on the apostles, in fulfillment of Christ's will, imparted to the newly baptized by the laying on of hands the gift of the Spirit that completes the grace of Baptism. For this reason in the Letter to the Hebrews the doctrine concerning Baptism and the laying on of hands is listed among the first elements of Christian instruction. The imposition of hands is rightly recognized by the Catholic tradition as the origin of the sacrament of Confirmation, which in a certain way perpetuates the grace of Pentecost in the Church" (Paul VI, Divinae consortium naturae, 659; Cf. Acts 8:15-17; 19:5-6; Heb 6:2). (CCC 768) So that she can fulfill her mission, the Holy Spirit "bestows upon [the Church] varied hierarchic and charismatic gifts, and in this way directs her" (LG 4). "Henceforward the Church, endowed with the gifts of her founder and faithfully observing his precepts of charity, humility and self-denial, receives the mission of proclaiming and establishing among all peoples the Kingdom of Christ and of God, and she is on earth the seed and the beginning of that kingdom" (LG 5).