January 25, 2013

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Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle

Who would have thought that being knocked off a horse would result in a Church Feast?  Read more.

Lectionary: 519

Reading 1 from St. Luke's record of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 22:3-16

Paul addressed the people in these words:
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia,
but brought up in this city.
At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law
and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.

St. Paul is introducing himself.  He describes himself as a Jew.  But he says something which I believe is missed by most people.  He says he was educated by Gamaliel.  Gamaliel just happens to be the most important Jewish Theologian that ever lived.

It is no wonder that St. Paul has such a great insight into the Christian religion.  Since Christianity is based upon the Jewish faith.

Read more about Gamaliel.

I persecuted this Way to death,
binding both men and women and delivering them to prison.
Even the high priest and the whole council of elders
can testify on my behalf.
For from them I even received letters to the brothers
and set out for Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem
in chains for punishment those there as well.

Paul describes the time when he persecuted the Church.  And then he describes how he was knocked off his horse.

“On that journey as I drew near to Damascus,
about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me.
I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,
‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

He was approaching Damascus around noon when a great light shone upon him.  First remember, the area around Damascus is a desert.  And this is around noon.  But St. Paul describes a great light?!  How bright must this light have been in order for it to knock him off his horse?  And to be the first thing he mentions in this recollection?

In the midst of the light, as he lay on the ground, he heard a voice ask him why he was persecuting Him.

I replied, ‘Who are you, sir?’
And he said to me,
‘I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.’

St. Paul asked the Voice to identify Himself and it was Jesus Christ.  But notice that St. Paul was not persecuting Jesus.  St. Paul had never met Jesus.  As far as he was concerned, Jesus was long dead.  He was persecuting Jesus' followers.  But Jesus relates so closely to His followers, that when we are persecuted, He is persecuted.

My companions saw the light
but did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to me.

Apparently, St. Paul later discussed this incident with his Jewish companions.  But they had not heard the Voice, although they saw the light.

I asked, ‘What shall I do, sir?’
The Lord answered me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus,
and there you will be told about everything
appointed for you to do.’

St. Paul asked Jesus for directions and he was simply told to go into Damascus where he would reeive further instructions.

Since I could see nothing because of the brightness of that light,
I was led by hand by my companions and entered Damascus.

During the incident, St. Paul had been rendered blind.  His Jewish companions had to lead him by the hand to the destination appointed him by Jesus.  It would be interesting to know what became of his companions.

“A certain Ananias, a devout observer of the law,
and highly spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,
came to me and stood there and said,
‘Saul, my brother, regain your sight.’
And at that very moment I regained my sight and saw him.
Then he said,
‘The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will,
to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice;
for you will be his witness before all
to what you have seen and heard.
Now, why delay?
Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away,
calling upon his name.’”

There he met a remarkable Saint.  St. Ananias, who with great confidence gave back St. Paul his sight and then commanded him to be baptized to wash away his sins calling upon the name of Christ.

or

The Alternate reading is a separate version of the same incident.   There are few differences in the narrative.

A reading from St. Luke's record of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 9:1-22

Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,
went to the high priest and asked him
for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that,
if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way,
he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains.

St. Luke describes St. Paul's (i.e. Saul's) zeal against the Church of Jesus Christ.

On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus,
a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,
“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

St. Paul saw a flash of light and fell to the ground.  Whereupon, Jesus asked him why he was persecuting Him.

He said, “Who are you, sir?”
The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

St. Paul did not now who was talking to Him, so Jesus identified Himself.

Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.”
The men who were traveling with him stood speechless,
for they heard the voice but could see no one.
Saul got up from the ground,
but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing;
so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus.
For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.

St. Paul was commanded to go into the city where he would be given further instructions.  However, St. Paul had been struck blind by the light, so he was led by the hand by his companions.  And he neither ate or drank for three days.

There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias,
and the Lord said to him in a vision, AAnanias.”
He answered, “Here I am, Lord.”
The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight
and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul.

Meanwhile, in Damascus, Jesus appeared to His servant, St. Ananias and gave him directions concerning St. Paul.

He is there praying,
and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias
come in and lay his hands on him,
that he may regain his sight.”
But Ananias replied,
“Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man,
what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem.
And here he has authority from the chief priests
to imprison all who call upon your name.”

Ananias was hesitant because he had heard of Saul and his mission against the Church.

But the Lord said to him,
“Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine
to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel,
and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.”

But Jesus said, "This man is now a chosen instrument of mine.  Therefore go and do as I say."

So Ananias went and entered the house;
laying his hands on him, he said,
“Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me,
Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came,
that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes
and he regained his sight.

So St. Ananias obediently did as he was instructed and met St. Paul and gave him back his sight.

He got up and was baptized,
and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.

And St. Paul was immediately baptized, presumably by St. Ananias.

He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus,
and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues,
that he is the Son of God.

And St. Paul immediately began to preach in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

All who heard him were astounded and said,
“Is not this the man who in Jerusalem
ravaged those who call upon this name,
and came here expressly to take them back in chains
to the chief priests?”
But Saul grew all the stronger
and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus,
proving that this is the Christ.

All who heard him were astonished, because they knew that he was the persecutor of the Christians.  But now he was defending them and preaching Christ with great power.

Responsorial Psalm
PS 117:1bc, 2

R. (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!

R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.

R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Tell them all.  God gave us His only begotten Son that He might die and we might live.  They will not believe it.  But tell them anyway.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark
Mk 16:15-18

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:
“Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.

This is the Great Commission.  The Church is empowered to teach the good news of Jesus Christ to the whole world.

These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

These signs have accompanied the Church in every generation.  The Canonized Saints are described in those words.  Many of them have healed the sick, even brought the dead to life, they driven out demons, spoken new languages and many other things: