The Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle
Thursday 25 January 2018
O God, who, by the preaching of thine apostle Paul, hast caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world: Grant, we beseech thee, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show forth our thankfulness unto thee for the same by following the holy doctrine which he taught; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Today the Church commemorates the conversion of Saul to Paul through which the apostle most known for taking the Gospel of Christ into places and among peoples outside the boundaries of those long believed to be the exclusive people of God. Paul is the champion of the apostles to the Gentiles, to the least and the forgotten, to those told by others that they have no place in the Kingdom.
The great irony, of course, is that Saul the Pharisee was quite certain that those among the Gentiles and sinners were rightly beyond hope and not capable or worthy of being the people of God. There is a shocking difference between Saul the Pharisee and Paul the Apostle. Could these really be one and the same man? Yes, granted, one is the young man, and the other is the older man. But as much as we cherish the thought that with years come wisdom, in reality we are still shocked when we see great stories and proof that years and wisdom have brought radical transformation to such a degree that the younger appears as one who has passed away and the older one who has been resurrected from the ashes of the past. In this apostle whose conversion we celebrate today, we such such a transformation that is so powerful that this new man even gets a new name.
That conversion began on one day and in one moment of time. The record of that day is found in the Acts of the Apistles, 9:1-22:
Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. 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 at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” All who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah.
Today, as we celebrate the Conversion of this great apostle, remember that we as Christians all have such a conversion story. It is almost certainly not as dramatic, but nonetheless in it we encounter again and again the transformation made within us by the presence of Christ in our lives.
Throughout his writing, Paul recalls this moment on the Damascus Road frequently. He does so not only to share his story but also to keep himself grounded in the transformation of rhe Christian that is always ongoing in those who walk daily in living and loving relationship with Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd, the Lover of Souls. Therefore, today, as we celebrate the Conversion of the Apistle to the Gentiles, let us reflect on our own conversion and transformation, seeking prayerfully how we might grow today and be more clearly the servant of Christ and of Christians who in word and deed tell a story of faith that points to Christ as the hope of all and the lover of everyone.
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Father Timothy Alleman
No comments:
Post a Comment