[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Acts 22:3-16

The Conversion of St.Paul

About noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me. (Acts 22:6)

Have you taken a close look at your bathroom mirrors lately? The daily routine of brushing your teeth, washing your face, and combing your hair in front of a mirror can leave a build-up of water marks, left­over toothpaste, and hairspray, all obstructing your reflection and giving you a miry view of your appearance. But with just a little glass cleaner and some paper towels, you can wipe the grime away, enabling you to see your reflection clearly without any spots or buildup.

In today’s first reading, the buildup that hindered Paul’s view about his life was removed when he met the Lord on the Damascus road. The revelation of Jesus—and of him­self—moved Paul to turn away from his old way of thinking and embrace the church he had been persecut­ing. With a new clarity of vision and a new understanding of who God is and how he works, Paul turned his heart to Jesus, and immedi­ately began preaching in the streets of Damascus. You can just imagine him telling people about his own experience of the Lord and urging them to turn to Jesus so that they too could come to see him as clearly as Paul had.

What made Paul so passionate and so clear? His conversion, that’s what. The moment Jesus entered his life, everything changed! Paul knew what he was like before that day, and he saw how God had been at work transforming him from that point on. That one event was so powerful that the story is told three times in the Book of Acts alone—not to men­tion all the times Paul refers to it in his letters!

Take some time today to write down the story of your own faith journey. Even if you didn’t have a dramatic “road to Damascus” expe­rience, it is still important to write down how God has been at work, giving you a clearer vision of your­self and of his love. St. Paul himself shows us that a clear mind always leads to a pure heart.

“Praise you, Lord, for your love for me is strong and mighty! You are forever faithful to everyone who trusts in your name. May I always live to give you glory and honor!”

Psalm 117:1-2; Mark 16:15-18

[Salvation]

A Christian Pilgrim

FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST, PAUL ENDURED ALL THINGS

A reading from a homily by St. John Chrysostom 

Hom 2 on St. Paul

[The Feast of THE CONVERSION OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE]

It was Saint Paul more than anyone else who showed what man is and how great is the nobility of our nature, as well as what capacity for virtue this human animal has. Every day he advanced in stature, every day he fought with ever-renewed keenness against the dangers threatening him; he showed this when he said: “I forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead.” When he was expecting to die he summoned others to share his joy, saying, “You also should be glad and rejoice with me.” Again he actually leaped with joy at the dangers and insults and every dishonour  which pressed on him, as he wrote to the Corinthians, “I am content with weaknesses, insults, persecutions.” He called these the weapons of righteousness, showing that from them the greatest benefits are reaped.

Therefore he was always undefeated by his enemies. Everywhere he was beaten, insulted, and reviled. He treated it all as though it were a triumphal procession setting up trophies of victory everywhere on earth, glorying in them, giving thanks to God, saying, “Thanks be to God who in Christ always leads us to triumph.” So he sought dishonour and insults in his preaching of the gospel more readily than we seek honours. He sought death more than we seek life, and poverty more than we seek riches; and he looked for work to do more than others look for rest. It was not simply that he looked for more, he looked for much more.

There was one thing, and one thing only that he feared and shunned, and that was to give offence to God. Just as there was one thing he longed for, to please God.

He was rich with the love of Christ which was the greatest of all things to him. While he had this, he reckoned himself the most blessed of men. Without it he had no wish to be numbered among princes and rulers and powers. Possessing love he wished to be among the lowliest of men, among those being chastised, rather than without love to be among the loftiest and honoured. There was one torment for him, to fall away from this love. That for him was hell, that was damnation. That was the sum of all evils.

Even so to find this love was joy. This to him was life, it was the whole world, his angel, things present, things to come, the Kingdom and the promise. This was the sum of all blessings. Anything else which was not concerned with this he regarded neither  as painful nor as pleasant. Things visible he considered of no more worth than withered grass. Tyrants or peoples breathing fury seemed to him like gnats. Death, torture, and a thousand torments he thought of as child’s play, provided only he could endure something for Christ’s sake.

Short Prayer: Lord Jesus, today we celebrate the conversion of Saint Paul, Your chosen vessel for carrying Your name to the whole world. Help us to make our way towards You by following in his footsteps, and by witnessing to Your truth before the men and women of our day. Amen. 

Note: St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, was born at Antioch about the year 349. After a brilliant course of studies he began to lead a life of austerity. He was ordained priest and laboured in preaching, with great fruit. In 397 he became Bishop of Constantinople and showed himself a true pastor, striving to reform the morals of both clergy and people. He incurred the hatred of the imperial court and his work was undermined because of jealousy, and twice he was sent into exile. Overcome by exhaustion he died at Comana in Pontus on 14 September 407. Because of his sermons and writings to explain the faith and to encourage the practice of the Christian life he was called John of the Golden Mouth.