Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 25, 2021
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.”
We tend to think of conversion as something dramatic: a pivotal, decisive, memorable moment of clarity and purpose. Today we celebrate the conversion of Saint Paul which reinforces this image, in many ways. Saul (who would later change his name to Paul) was on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians when he was knocked to the ground by a bright light. He heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4 and 22:7). After spending time with the Christians in Damascus, he radically changed his life and went on to embody Jesus’ command to his apostles in today’s gospel: “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.”
Conversion can be less dramatic as well. In my spiritual life, I have benefited from reading about what some spiritual writers call “continual conversion.” This is the idea that conversion is not a one-time, once-and-for-all experience but a process of choosing to follow God every day. It involves turning away from sin and turning towards God. It requires us to reflect on our weaknesses and return to God, again and again, as our source of strength, hope, and life. I think Paul probably experienced this type of conversion, too, as he carried out the long and difficult task of spreading the Gospel through his travels. On this Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, I pray that his example will inspire me to seek conversion each day, little by little, so that I might direct my life towards God.
Prayer
Lord God today we join with the Church throughout the world to celebrate the feast of the great apostle to the Gentiles. Called by the risen Christ, Paul no longer lived for himself or for his own justice but only for Christ and with Christ. May we who follow in his footsteps never seek to build up ourselves but always to give of ourselves in building up the body of believers. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Paul has one of the most dramatic and famous conversion stories of all time.
Saul was born a Roman citizen in Tarsus. Saul was a highly educated Jewish man who was trained in classical disciplines such as rhetoric and in the strict observance of Mosaic law. Saul was a zealous Pharisee and had returned to Tarsus before Jesus began his public ministry in Palestine.
In fact, Saul was so zealous about the law that he persecuted Christians because they departed from it in their following of Jesus. He was in the crowd that murdered St. Stephen, the first martyr, and violently persecuted other Christians. He would drag Christians out of their homes, shackle them with chains, and throw them in prison.
He asked permission to round up all the Christians in Damascus and march them, in chains, to Jerusalem as an example. On his way to Damascus, he was surrounded by an intensely bright light from heaven and was struck to the ground. “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me,” a voice called out. “Who are you, sir?” Saul cried out. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9).
Saul was converted at that moment, and the Lord instructed him to go into Damascus, where he would be told what to do. Saul got up, but realized he could not see—he had been struck blind by the vision.
He was led into the city and sheltered there until a Christian named Ananias was told by the risen Lord to find Saul and lay hands on him and heal him. Ananias had heard about this Saul and was reluctant, but followed Jesus’ instructions and laid hands on him. Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he regained his sight.
Saul was baptized and changed his name to Paul, and almost immediately began preaching in the synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God. He went on to make missionary journeys through southern Europe and Asia Minor, and converted many—especially among people who were not Jewish. Fourteen of his letters are preserved as part of the New Testament.
Paul was killed in Rome by beheading, the method of execution for Roman citizens, which is why he is often depicted with a sword (as he is with this window in the chapel of Morrissey Hall, shown above). His relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, including part of the column where he was beheaded. His conversion is depicted in a stained glass window there.
St. Paul, apostle whose encounter with the persecuted Christ changed the course of your life and Christian history—pray for us!