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Caught by the Mission

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, the apostle (January 25, 2012).

January 25, 2012
Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, the apostle

Mark 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."

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I renew my faith in the power of your word. I come to you today to listen to you and allow you to lead me. I renew my trust in your mercy: You are constantly looking upon me and the world with love. I want to love you in return and lead others to love you.

Petition: Fill me with the power of your good news, Lord.

1. The World Needs Messengers of Hope: Jesus Christ is the message that everyone vitally needs. He is God’s message to man, the message that tells people that God loves them deeply and offers them a way to true life and salvation. Our world often looks for love in the wrong places; it needs to find the answer to its deepest desires in Christ. But who will spread this message? Those like St. Paul who take Christ’s love seriously and see that they, too, can become messengers of hope. Am I meant to be a messenger of hope?

2. God Acts Powerfully in Those Who Trust Him: St. Paul is an example of what God can do through someone who trusts in him. St. Paul valued the grace Christ gave him. He put his life totally in the hands of Christ and was not afraid to proclaim him to everyone he met. Even though Paul faced many difficulties, his work produced enormous fruit and helped extend the number of Christian communities. Do I believe that Christ can work through me as I participate in the New Evangelization? In what ways can I trust him more?

3. Our Opportunity Is Now: St. Paul and the first apostles did not wait until all the circumstances were right before beginning evangelization. Once Christ had touched their lives and once he had given them the command to begin, they began right away. The Church has asked us to begin again today. Like St. Paul, we must feel that the fire of Christ’s love impels us (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:14). We cannot wait until the circumstances are favorable; we must do whatever we can now. We have already experienced Christ’s love. Why are we waiting to share it? What holds me back from a greater surrender to the work of evangelization?

Conversation with Christ: Lord, like Saint Paul I have been touched by your love, and I have heard your command to go out and spread the good news. I renew my trust in your companionship, and I resolve to do all I can to bring your Gospel to others. Help me to keep my eyes on you.

Resolution: Today I will share a thought from the Gospel or from the Holy Father’s teaching with at least two people whom I encounter.

Homily of the Day

Would I say “Yes”?

January 25th, 2012 by Food For Thought ·

First Reading: Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22
Psalm: Ps 117:1bc, 2
Gospel: Mk 16:15-18

Saul of Tarsus was a leading persecutor of the early Christians. He
was a zealous Pharisee and though he was born of Jewish parents, he
was a citizen of Rome, or in other words, a Gentile. He had all the
qualifications to be a hated man of the early Christians and even by
ordinary Jews who despised the Romans.

We can imagine the shock of Christians and Jews alike when Saul, the
tireless persecutor of Christians, became Paul the tireless apostle
of Jesus. We can surmise – Paul was surprised himself and probably
had great anxiety before he began preaching especially since his
credibility must have been at its lowest point during this time.

Why does Jesus choose people like Saul - people whom we would
consider the most unqualified to be His apostles? Those of us who
are professionals know and believe that when it comes to
recruitment, qualifications and skills fit for the job are crucial
criteria. Jesus seems to turn these beliefs upside down when he
chose Paul and many of his Twelve Apostles.

Perhaps we should remind ourselves that our Christian Church is very
much unlike a business or any human institution. Our Church is a
community and it welcomes all people from all walks of life. Our
Church does not run on the rules of a business or an exclusive
club. Everyone in the Church is a qualified member, no matter how
imperfect we may be. Jesus goes further in that even the lowest of
all members of our community has the potential to be the greatest in
our Church.

There is nothing more encouraging and more inspiring in knowing that
as Christians, we can be and are chosen by Jesus to be great leaders
or high achievers of our Church. It makes us think that maybe the
least we can do is to respond with passion and commitment to bring
the Word of God to all our neighbors.

POINTS TO PONDER
If God called me to service in my church, how would I react? Would
I immediately say “yes” or would I step back and feel burdened?