Converted and Converting [St. Paul]

Converted and Converting

Posted by Dr. Scott Hahn on 01.22.14 |

Our patron, St. Paul, isn’t any ordinary saint. He’s a singularity. He’s unique. And the Church calendar reflects the extraordinary role he played in God’s revelation. It was he who brought the Gospel to the world beyond Israel — the Gentiles. He’s credited as author of more than half the books of the New Testament, and it was under Paul’s tutelage that Luke composed his Gospel and Acts.

The Apostle to the Gentiles gets not one but two feasts on the Church’s Western calendar. In June he shares a feast with St. Peter, with whom he died as a martyr as they consecrated Rome with their blood.

Novena to St. Paul the Apostle

On January 25, however, we at the St. Paul Center mark our patronal feast: the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. It’s a glorious day, quite unlike other feasts. For Paul’s conversion marks a milestone not only in his own life, but in the life of God’s people. Once a persecutor of Christ, he became the Lord’s preacher. Once an impediment to the Gospel, he became its great champion. Once a guardian of Israel as an ethnic preserve of holiness, Paul came to serve as a father in the worldwide (literally, catholic) Church that included both Jews and Gentiles.

The story of St. Paul’s conversion is told repeatedly in the New Testament, three times in the Acts of the Apostles and then, briefly, in Paul’s own correspondence with the Galatians and Corinthians. In all of history, no other conversion gets that kind of special coverage, with God himself as primary author of the narrative!

It’s possible, though, to over-emphasize the uniqueness of Paul’s conversion. When we consider the lives of the saints — and especially saints as extraordinary as Paul — we can be tempted to miss the lessons of their lives. We can miss the lessons that apply especially to us.

More than a decade ago, with my wife Kimberly and a few colleagues, I founded this apostolate, and we decided to name it after St. Paul. Most of us were converts to the Catholic faith, having come into full communion with the Church as adults. St. Paul, the “adult convert,” was a special guide for us.

But even that application is too narrow for this saint and this feast. For he’s not just a patron to those who change religious affiliation. In fact, it’s debatable whether he would have considered his affiliation to be different after he met the Lord.

No. St. Paul is everyone’s patron because we’re all called to conversion — and we’re always called to conversion, even if we’ve been Catholics since the cradle and attending Mass daily for decades.

Jesus said: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). The word he used for “turn” is at the root of all our Christian terms and notions about conversion.

Conversion is a turning toward God. It is a turning away from sin and from attachment to worldly things and worldly cares. This is the work of a lifetime. It’s not the matter of a moment. It’s not just “once and done.”

Unless we turn — unless we become “converts” — we’re not Christian. Unless we make a habit of repentance, we’re not disciples of Jesus Christ. We must convert again and again. We celebrate our conversions whenever we go to Confession. We celebrate our conversions, in fact, whenever we resist distraction and turn to our Father God in prayer.

In his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, on the joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis makes this matter abundantly clear. He is worried less about the enemies “out there” in the world than the enemies within — the vices and the unconverted habits that tempt us away from Christ and threaten our perseverance in the faith. He calls baptized Christians to “experience a conversion which will restore the joy of faith to their hearts and inspire a commitment to the Gospel.” He defines conversion as “openness to a constant self-renewal born of fidelity to Jesus Christ.” He emphasizes that even the pope must undergo such a conversion.

If we work on this, he says, all else will fall into place, in society and in the Church.

St. Paul should be our model for conversion. His conversion was ongoing, lifelong, never easy, but always joyful. “Rejoice in the Lord always,” he said in his Letter to the Philippians (4:4). “Again I will say, Rejoice.” Paul is joyful not because of how good things are getting, but how good God is. That’s the fruit of true conversion.

And that’s a great reason to celebrate on January 25. I hope you’ll join me in a special observance of the day. Be bold in asking God for graces. Be importunate, too, as you beg on my behalf and on behalf of the St. Paul Center.

Novena to St. Paul the Apostle

Entrust your intention to St. Paul and offer the following prayer.
O St. Paul, the Apostle, preacher of truth and Doctor of the Gentiles, intercede for us to God, who chose you.
You are a vessel of election, O St. Paul the Apostle, preacher of truth to the whole world.
O God, you have instructed many nations through the preaching of the blessed apostle Paul. Let the power of his intercession with you help us who venerate his memory this day.

Conclude with an
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.

I think he’s parodying godless libs.

The humor there, was in reference to particular aspects of "Romanist" discussions (and even dogma) concerning Paul and the other Apostles, in regards to relationship and "station" between and concerning the several -- those items having been previously discussed upon numerous occasion, and at some lengths, on these (FR RF) pages. In fact, it touches upon (or at least --- makes oblique reference to) oft repeated claim and alleged grounds for justification of "Romanist" supremacy.

Should I draw for a map for those who didn't "get it"? Or would that be as yet another "new gate" to moo at, leaving map-making in this instance, a fools errand?

Dontcha' know all this stuff already? Try to keep up. Why must this need explaining? For years...this has been like one long, drawn-out conversation. I remember things which have been said, held to be "truth" (frequently -- up one side and down the other) by FRomans here. Obviously, AM does too.

That AM is not understood -- or is woefully misunderstood --- is no surprise to himself, myself, and possibly other observers...but what is surprising (in part) concerning this particular article, sourced as it is from Hahn, is that Hahn makes no overt Romanist supremacy claims in this particular article (as per his own usual "style" --- "up with Rome" "down with all doctrinal understanding/expression outside of her", or in conflict with some *aspect*) but instead restricts himself to such as;

with the latter portion, denying that one can be sealed in Christ truly once and for all (as much NT scripture does indeed indicate) leaves man not able to in truth cry unto the Father (The Holy Creator, "God the Father") by spirit of adoption, even as this one Apostle whom Hahn chooses here to focus upon (Paul) went to some lengths to repeatedly explain, touching upon the very issue numerous times throughout his own writings, with that unwavering truth woven in thoroughly, throughout his own texts...

Now that one can indeed be sealed unto salvation, once and for all time, by the blood of Christ --- that is (or at least once was, again, much according to Paul) one of the central teachings of the earliest, most primitive, "church", does not mean that the former, or earlier portion of Hahn's statement of is not true.

For as he says (to which I, and/or many or most, most heartily agree);

This is a work of a lifetime

At this juncture --- perhaps it may help to suggest that it is truly not an either/or proposition, as the more complete quotation of Hahn's which I have selected portrays things ("things" being the truth, concerning salvation) to be, for he repeats an oft stated false dichotomy, while this instead (the truth) is one of those instances not either/or , but rather both.

And no, Judas the betrayer (for example) was never "saved", then "lost it". He never truly HAD IT, in the first place.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.