The upcoming Sunday reading focuses on Philip. Philip, like so many of the Apostles, was a traveling man spreading the Gospel message. The reading says Philip was sent by an angel from Jerusalem to Gaza. That point might escape anyone who is distracted at Mass or just locks on the basic idea presented; i.e., that Philip was out to baptize converts. Much more is presented in so short a reading.
To get a real sense of the depth of information given by the reading, pay attention to the finer details.
An angel sent Philip by way of the desert road to Gaza. From Jerusalem that’s about 48 miles, not a short trip around the corner. Even today a good horse goes no more than 30 miles a day comfortably.
Gaza today is always a place of friction between Palestinians and Israelis. To get a sense of location, we can search maps and see the topography of the area. Since Gaza lies near the Mediterranean, the land to the east and around Jerusalem is a dry wilderness as mentioned in the reading. The road from Jerusalem to Gaza is a downhill run. Jerusalem is hilly, Gaza is flat.
Philip got up immediately. Would you? He took the journey, meeting a man from Ethiopia, a Eunuch of the court of Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians. Candace was not the name of the queen. History notes that it was a reigning title, such as the title Pharo. The reading goes on to mention that the eunuch was a court official in charge of the treasury. Of course that meant the man was well provisioned and educated. He may have been of Nubia, where such wealth was common.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nubia
He was reading from the Prophet Isaiah about the sufferings of Christ. Philip, who had been moved by the Spirit to join the man in his chariot baptized him at his request. The result was the formation of the Ethiopian church which even today maintains the true faith from the apostolic time.
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