January 25, 2014

Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle 
Lectionary: 519
Reading 1 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.
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.

St. Paul was born Saul of Tarsus.  He was educated by the greatest Jewish theologian in history, the great Gamaliel.  And his knowledge of theology served him well in learning the Christian faith.  His insights are a testimony to the surpassing knowledge of his childhood teacher.  

Saul of Tarsus was also a persecutor of Christians before Jesus knocked him 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?’
I replied, ‘Who are you, sir?’
And he said to me,
‘I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.’

Saul had never personally met Jesus.  Saul was persecuting Christians and the Christian Church.  But Jesus identifies Himself completely with His Church.  That is why we are considered His Body.  Therefore, when Saul persecuted the Church of Christ, he persecuted Christ.

My companions saw the light
but did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to me.
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.’
Since I could see nothing because of the brightness of that light,
I was led by hand by my companions and entered Damascus.

“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.’”

This is one of my favorite verses to highlight the effectualness of Baptism.  Baptism truly washes away the sins of the repentant believer.

Or ACTS 9:1-22

The version of St. Paul's conversion in Acts 22 is the retelling by St. Paul.  The first account of this story is in chapter 9.

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

Saul had never personally met Jesus.  Saul was persecuting Christians and the Christian Church.  But Jesus identifies Himself completely with His Church.  That is why we are considered His Body.  Therefore, when Saul persecuted the Church of Christ, he persecuted Christ.

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.

Jesus had knocked Saul off his horse and struck him blind.  In this condition, Saul was instructed to meet the Christians in Damascus.

There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias,
and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias.”
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.
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.”
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.”

Simultaneously, Jesus appeared to a Christian man named Ananias and instructed him to baptize Saul.  Ananias was understandably concerned because Saul's vicious reputation preceded him.

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

But Ananias obeyed Jesus' instructions and baptized Saul.  Immediately, Saul regained his sight.

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.
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.

People recognized Saul and were amazed that the persecutor of the Church was now a member of the Church.

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.

Go out to the world and tell them how much God loves you!  When something good happens to us or when we are proud of someone, we can't help but tell all with whom we come in contact.  We need to do the same to show that we love Jesus Christ.  Tell all the world the good news!

Gospel 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.
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.”

Jesus Christ established the Church and commanded the Church to proclaim the Gospel.  The Gospel contains all the Doctrines of Jesus Christ.  His Traditions which He established and commanded the Church to pass on.  The Church then wrote the New Testament based upon the Traditions of Jesus Christ.