Saturday 25
January 2025 – Conversion of St. Paul
Mass Readings: Acts 22:3-16 Ps 117
Mk 16:15-18
Key Verse to Meditate: Go into all
the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation (Mk 16:15).
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the
Lord,
Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Conversion of St.
Paul, a moment that stands as one of the greatest miracles of God’s grace. The
transformation of St. Paul from a fierce persecutor of Christians into an
apostle to the Gentiles is a testament to the power of God’s love and the
boundless reach of His plans. The conversion of St. Paul reminds us of the transformative power
of God’s grace and the universal call to mission. Like Paul, let us surrender
to Christ, allowing Him to work through us to bring His love to the world.
The Conversion of St. Paul
The story of St. Paul’s conversion reveals the profound impact of
divine grace. Saul, as he was known before his conversion, was full of zeal for
God but misguided in his understanding. He relentlessly persecuted the
followers of Christ, believing he was safeguarding the traditions of his
ancestors. As we read in Acts: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but
brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law
of our ancestors, being zealous for God, just as all of you are today” (Acts
22:3). However, Paul’s zeal was not aligned with God’s will. He later admitted
in his Letter to the Romans: “They have a zeal for God, but it is not
enlightened” (Rom 10:2). Despite Saul’s misplaced fervour, God had
extraordinary plans for him.
The Encounter with Christ
On the road to Damascus, Saul experienced a life-altering encounter
with the risen Christ. Struck to the ground by a divine light, he heard the
voice of Jesus: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 22:7).
Confused, Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The response he received was
astonishing: “I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 22:8).
This moment revealed the intimate unity between Christ and His
Church. By persecuting Christians, Saul was, in fact, persecuting Christ
Himself. This realization became the foundation of Paul’s mission and theology,
emphasizing the Church as the Body of Christ.
Conversion: A Path Through
Brokenness
Saul’s conversion journey began with a fall, both literally and
spiritually. His blindness reflected the state of his soul, and it was only
through the guidance of the fearful Ananias that he received both physical
sight and spiritual clarity. Baptized by Ananias, Saul emerged as Paul, a new
creation in Christ. As the Lord said to Ananias: “Go, for he is a chosen
instrument of mine to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the
people of Israel” (Acts 9:15).
A Model of Unity and Mission
Paul’s conversion is celebrated universally because it is not only
a personal transformation but also a model for all discipleship. Once a staunch
defender of Jewish unity through persecution, Paul became an apostle who worked
tirelessly for the unity of God’s people. He embraced diversity within the
Church, recognizing it as the richness of God’s plan.
Paul’s missionary zeal knew no bounds. He proclaimed the Gospel to
the Gentiles, crossing cultural, linguistic, and geographical barriers to bring
the Good News to all. As he himself declared: “I have become all things to all
people, that I might by all means save some” (1 Cor 9:22).
Paul After Conversion: After his
conversion, Paul kept in his heart the desire to be united with the people of
Israel. He writes it in the letter to the Romans with words that cannot be read
without deep emotion: I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my
conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and
unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed,
separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the
flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory
and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the
promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the
flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen (Rom 9:1-5).
Paul’s story reminds us that God can transform even the hardest
hearts and use them for His glory. It challenges us to examine our own lives:
Are there areas where we resist God’s will? Do we, like Saul, cling to our own
misguided zeal?
Moreover, Paul’s encounter with Christ highlights the importance of
the Church in our faith journey. Jesus directed Paul to Damascus to join the
community of believers, teaching us that conversion is not an individualistic endeavour
but a call to communion with the Body of Christ.
Go into all the world and Proclaim
the Good News: Today’s gospel in resonance with the feast of the conversion of
Paul, has the missionary command of Jesus: Go into all the world and proclaim
the good news to the whole creation (Mk 16:15). The missionary command
delivered by Jesus to the Twelve is also delivered to each and every Christian
disciple of Christ. The only work that Jesus asked them to do was what he had
carried out himself, namely the proclamation of the good news of God. Jesus was
the messenger of God. He did proclaim the good news to the poor and healed
everyone: "Let us go on to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim
the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." And he went
throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out
demons (Mk 1:38-39). In the same way the last verse of Mark’s gospel would end
up saying that the disciples did proclaim the word of God as commanded by the
risen Christ: And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while
the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that
accompanied it (Mk 16:20).
Evangelizing the world with the Word
of God: Evangelizing the world with the word of God is what is missing
today. Jesus is asking you and me to carry forward his message with our lives.
We cannot proclaim the Lord as did St. Paul, if we do not discover him in the
Bible. Jesus said, ‘Go all over the world’.
We need to go to proclaim the gospel to every creature. The Gospel is
not our word, our thoughts, our philosophies, our theologies, our reflections
or our meditations. But remember that ‘the Gospel’ that we are supposed to
preach is the Word that Christ received from the Father and handed over to the
Father. Nothing else.
Points for Personal Reflection
Jesus has said "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to
all creation. (Mk 16:15). Am I prepared like St. Paul to lose everything in
order to proclaim the message of Jesus to the ends of the world?
Have I encountered Christ in my Life? What turning points it has
taken in my life. Remember that, a conversion can come suddenly or it can last
a life. But it is important to have a listening hear to the call of Christ,
just as did St. Paul: 'Who are you, Lord?'
(Act 22:8) and ‘What am I to do, Lord?' (Act 22:10).
Do I pray for the Unity of the Church? As we end the unity Octave
today, We need to pray for the unity of the church and do everything in our
capacity to promote always the unity for which Christ prayed for and desired:
that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that
they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send
Me" (Jn 17:21).
As we reflect on the conversion of St. Paul, let us ask for his
intercession to deepen our own relationship with Christ and His Church. May his
example inspire us to open our hearts to God’s transformative grace, to embrace
our mission with zeal, and to work tirelessly for the unity and growth of the
Church.
