From: Acts 22:3-16
Paul Defends Himself Before the Crowd
[6] “As I made my journey and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me. [7] And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ [8] And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.’ [9] Now those who were with me saw the light but
did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. [10] And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ [11] And when I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.
[12] “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, [13] came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And in that very hour I received my sight and saw him. [14] And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Just One and to hear a voice from his mouth; [15] for you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.[16] And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’”
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Commentary:
1-21. St Luke gives us Paul’s address to the Jews of Jerusalem, the first of three speeches in his own defense (cf. 24:10-21; 26:1-23) in which he tries to show that there is no reason why Christianity should be opposed by Jew or by Roman. Here he presents himself as a pious Jew, full of respect for his people and their sacred traditions. He earnestly desires his brethren to realize that there are compelling reasons for his commitment to Jesus. He is convinced that they can experience in their souls the same kind of spiritual
change as he did. However, this speech is not a closely-argued apologia. His main intention is not so much to answer the accusations levelled against him as to use this opportunity to bear witness to Jesus Christ, whose commandments validate Paul’s actions. What he is really trying to do is to get his hearers to obey the voice of the Lord.
1. “Brethren and fathers”: the “fathers” may refer to members of the Sanhedrin present in the crowd.
3. Gamaliel (cf. 5:34) belonged to the school of the rabbi Hillel, which was noted for a less rigorous interpretation of the Law than that of Shammai and his disciples.
4. The situation described by Paul is confirmed by 1 Cor 15:9: “I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God”; Gal 1:13: “You have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it”; Phil 3:6: “as to the law a Pharisee, as to zeal a persecutor of the church”; and 1 Tim 1:13: “I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and insulted him [Christ]”.
6-11. Paul describes in his own words what happened on the way to Damascus (cf. 9:3-9; 26:6-16). This account differs in some ways from—but does not contradict—the two other versions of the episode, especially that of chapter 9, which is told in St Luke’s words.
Paul adds that the whole thing happened at midday (cf. 26:13), and he says that Jesus referred to himself as “Jesus of Nazareth”. He also include the question “What shall I do, Lord?”, which is not given in chapter 9.
As far as Paul’s companions were concerned, we know that they saw the light (Acts 22:9) but did not see anyone (Acts 9:7): they did not see the glorified Jesus; they heard a voice (Acts 9:7) but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to Paul (Acts 22:9), that is, did not understand what the voice said.
10. Paul addresses Jesus as “Lord”, which shows that this vision has revealed to him the divinity of him whom he was persecuting.
The divine voice orders him to get up from the ground and the future Apostle of the Gentiles obeys immediately. The physical movement of getting up is a kind of symbol of the spiritual uplift his soul is given by God’s call. “This was the first grace, that was given to the first Adam; but more powerful than it is the grace in the second Adam. The effect of the first grace was that a man might have justice, if he willed; the second grace, therefore, is more powerful, because it affects the will itself; it makes for a strong will, a burning charity, so that by a contrary will the spirit overcomes the conflicting will of the flesh” (St Augustine, “De Correptione
Et Gratia”, XI, 31).
“Many have come to Christianity”, Origen says, “as if against their will, for a certain spirit, appearing to them, in sleep or when they are awake, suddenly silences their mind, and they change from hating the Word to dying for him” (”Against Celsus”, I, 46).
Paul’s conversion is an outstanding example of what divine grace and divine assistance in general can effect in a person’s heart.
12-16. This account of Ananias and his role in Paul’s conversion is much shorter than that given in chapter 9 (cf. vv. 10-19). St Paul adapts it here to suit his audience (who are all Jews). He presents Jesus as the one in whom the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled. Like Peter (cf. 3:1 3ff) and Stephen (cf. 7:52) he speaks of the “God of our fathers” and the “Just One” when referring to God and to Jesus respectively.
From: Mark 16:15-20
The Apostle’s Mission
The Ascension
The Apostles Go Forth and Preach
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Commentary:
15. This verse contains what is called the “universal apostolic mandate” (paralleled by Matthew 28:19-20 and Luke 24:46-48). This is an imperative command from Christ to His Apostles to preach the Gospel to the whole world. This same apostolic mission applies, especially, to the Apostles’ successors, the bishops in communion with Peter’s successor, the Pope.
But this mission extends further: the whole “Church was founded to spread the Kingdom of Christ over all the Earth for the glory of God the Father, to make all men partakers in redemption and salvation.... Every activity of the Mystical Body with this in view goes by the name of `apostolate’; the Church exercises it through all its members, though in various ways. In fact, the Christian vocation is, of its nature, a vocation to the apostolate as well. In the organism of a living body no member plays a purely passive part, sharing in the life of the body it shares at the same time in its activity. The same is true for the body of Christ, the Church: `the whole body achieves full growth in dependence on the full functioning of each part’ (Ephesians 4:16). Between the members of this body there exists, further, such a unity and solidarity (cf. Ephesians 4:16) that a member who does not work at the growth of the body to the extent of his possibilities must be considered useless both to the Church and to himself.
“In the Church there is diversity of ministry but unity of mission. To the Apostles and their successors Christ has entrusted the office of teaching, sanctifying and governing in His name and by His power. But the laity are made to share in the priestly, prophetical and kingly office of Christ; they have therefore, in the Church and in the world, their own assignment in the mission of the whole people of God” (Vatican II, “Apostolicam Actuositatem”, 2).
It is true that God acts directly on each person’s soul through grace, but it must also be said that it is Christ’s will (expressed here and elsewhere) that men should be an instrument or vehicle of salvation for others.
Vatican II also teaches this: “On all Christians, accordingly, rests the noble obligation of working to bring all men throughout the whole world to hear and accept the divine message of salvation” (”ibid”., 3).
16. This verse teaches that, as a consequence of the proclamation of the Good News, faith and Baptism are indispensable pre-requisites for attaining salvation. Conversion to the faith of Jesus Christ should lead directly to Baptism, which confers on us “the first sanctifying grace, by which original sin is forgiven, and which also forgives any actual sins there may be; it remits all punishment due for these sins; it impresses on the soul the mark of the Christian; it makes us children of God, members of the Church and heirs to Heaven, and enables us to receive the other sacraments” (”St. Pius X Catechism”, 553).
Baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation, as we can see from these words of the Lord. But physical impossibility of receiving the rite of Baptism can be replaced by either martyrdom (called, therefore “baptism of blood”) or by a perfect act of love of God and of contrition, together with an at least implicit desire to be baptized: this is called “baptism of desire” (cf. “ibid”., 567-568).
Regarding infant Baptism, St. Augustine taught that “the custom of our Mother the Church of infant Baptism is in no way to be rejected or considered unnecessary; on the contrary, it is to be believed on the ground that it is a tradition from the Apostles” (”De Gen. ad litt”., 10, 23, 39). The new “Code of Canon Law” also stresses the need to baptize infants: “Parents are obliged to see that their infants are baptized within the first few weeks. As soon as possible after the birth, indeed even before it, they are to approach the parish priest to ask for the sacrament for their child, and to be themselves duly prepare for it” (Canon 867).
Another consequence of the proclamation of the Gospel, closely linked with the previous one, is that “the Church is necessary”, as Vatican II declares: “Christ is the one mediator and way of salvation; He is present to us in His body which is the Church. He Himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and baptism (cf. Mark 16:16; John 3:5), and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse to enter it, or to remain in it” (”Lumen Gentium”, 14; cf. “Presbyterorum Ordinis”, 4; “Ad Gentes”, 1-3; “Dignitatis Humanae”, 11).
17-18. In the early days of the Church, public miracles of this kind happened frequently. There are numerous historical records of these events in the New Testament (cf., e.g., Acts 3:1-11; 28:3-6) and in other ancient Christian writings. It was very fitting that this should be so, for it gave visible proof or the truth of Christianity. Miracles of this type still occur, but much more seldom; they are very exceptional. This, too, is fitting because, on the one hand, the truth of Christianity has been attested to enough; and, on the other, it leaves room for us to merit through faith. St. Jerome comments: “Miracles were necessary at the beginning to confirm people in the faith. But, once the faith of the Church is confirmed, miracles are not necessary” (”Comm. in Marcum, in loc.”). However, God still works miracles through saints in every generation, including our own.
19. The Lord’s ascension into Heaven and His sitting at the right hand of the Father is the sixth article of faith confessed in the Creed. Jesus Christ went up into Heaven body and soul, to take possession of the Kingdom He won through His death, to prepare for us a place in Heaven (cf. Revelation 3:21) and to send the Holy Spirit to His Church (cf. “St. Pius X Cathechism”, 123).
To say that He “sat at the right hand of God” means that Jesus Christ, including His humanity, has taken eternal possession of Heaven and that, being the equal of His Father in that He is God, He occupies the place of highest honor beside Him in His human capacity (cf. “St. Pius V Catechism”, I, 7, 2-3). Already in the Old Testament the Messiah is spoken of as seated at the right hand of the Almighty, thereby showing the supreme dignity of Yahweh’s Annointed (cf. Psalm 110:1). The New Testament records this truth here and also in many other passages (cf. Ephesians 1:20-22; Hebrews 1:13).
As the “St. Pius V Catechism” adds, Jesus went up to Heaven by His own power and not by any other. Nor was it only as God that He ascended, but also as man.
20. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the evangelist attests that the words of Christ have already begun to be fulfilled by the time of writing. The Apostles, in other words, were faithfully carrying out the mission of our Lord entrusted to them. They begin to preach the Good News of salvation throughout the known world. Their preaching was accompanied by the signs and wonders the Lord had promised, which lent authority to their witness and their teaching. Yet, we know that their apostolic work was always hard, involving much effort, danger, misunderstanding, persecution and even martyrdom—like our Lord’s own life.
Thanks to God and also to the Apostles, the strength and joy of our Lord Jesus Christ has reached as far as us. But every Christian generation, every man and woman, has to receive the preaching of the Gospel and, in turn, pass it on. The grace of God will always be available to us: “Non est abbreviata manus Domini” (Isaiah 59:1), the power of the Lord has not diminished.