Each year our Mass readings for Sundays and weekdays in the Easter Season include portions of Acts. However, nothing after chapter 15 is ever used in the Sunday readings, and some parts are also skipped in the weekday Mass readings. Here is an interesting portion below, dealing with the man who became known as Simon Magus. Of this portion, only verses 14-17 are ever used at Mass, usually in Masses that relate to Confirmation.
Acts 8:9-25
9 A man named Simon used to practice magic in the city and astounded the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. 10 All of them, from the least to the greatest, paid attention to him, saying, “This man is the ‘Power of God’ that is called ‘Great.’” 11 They paid attention to him because he had astounded them by his magic for a long time, 12 but once they began to believe Philip as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, men and women alike were baptized. 13 Even Simon himself believed and, after being baptized, became devoted to Philip; and when he saw the signs and mighty deeds that were occurring, he was astounded.
14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, 15 who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the holy Spirit, 16 for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them and they received the holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was conferred by the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me this power too, so that anyone upon whom I lay my hands may receive the holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your money perish with you, because you thought that you could buy the gift of God with money. 21 You have no share or lot in this matter, for your heart is not upright before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness of yours and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your intention may be forgiven. 23 For I see that you are filled with bitter gall and are in the bonds of iniquity.” 24 Simon said in reply, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.” 25 So when they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem and preached the good news to many Samaritan villages.
Practicing “magic” back then was not a stage show. It likely relied on various tricks and sleight-of-hand, but it also involved traffic with the occult. The people of that day would probably draw a different line than we would between some physical or psychic illnesses and the demonic, but evil spirits are a reality that must be faced. Here Luke shows some of the difference between a user of magic and the powers granted by God to the Apostles and their designates in the early Church. Simon is attracted, baptized, and closely follows Philip. (To watch him carefully? One commentator suggests “devoted” is a translation that may go a little far–as the sequel appears to suggest). Peter sees through Simon–and sees a false heart. Peter’s use of the phrase “bitter gall” harks back to a warning in Deuteronomy 19:18-19 about someone appearing to follow the Lord, but actually committed to some pagan ‘god.’ (Various translations of Deuteronomy obscure this connection in English.) The fact that Simon offered to buy the power was undoubtedly a warning sign. His words here do not say anything about sorrow for what he did, just a desire to escape punishment!
It is from this Simon that we get the word “simony” which means buying or selling religious offices or powers or gifts. See the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2121 for teaching about this. The whole short section entitled “Irreligion” is well worth examining.