THE   CONVERSION 

OF  ST.  PAUL 

INTRODUCTION 

Today, January 25^th we’re  focusing on the conversion  of St. Paul. 

Today’s first reading - Acts 23: 3-16 - gives us one of  the two versions of his conversion that are in the  Acts of the Apostles.  We could read either. [Cf. Acts  9: 1-22.]

We don’t know what day it was that this actually happened – but January 25^th is as good as any.

Any day is a good day to get new insights, change, convert, grow.

DETAILS

Saul’s name changed to Paul. Paul’s brain changed.  He had been against  Christians – arresting them – chaining them – dragging them to Jerusalem - having them imprisoned – having them killed.

He was there for the stoning to death of Stephen the deacon.

His thought patterns changed.

He realizes his wrongness.

He describes it as a blindness.

He realizes what he was doing.

He gets baptized and becomes a great voice that adds new  Good News to the history of religion in our world.

He does what today’s gospel [Mark 16: 15-18] challenges us to do: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”

Paul  is still doing this.  People are still reading and hearing and thinking about his messages.

Today’s a good day to say: I have to think about this.  He made quite a change.

To me that’s one of life’s big questions. Can a person change?  We’ve all experience people we wondered about.  We inwardly asked: Can he or she ever change?

Saul – Paul did. Buddha and Augustine changed?

Every Lent – on Ash Wednesday – every Christian hears the words: Change and believe in the Good News – or Remember you are dust and into dust you shall return.

 

WHAT PAUL GIVES US

Besides messages in the Acts of the Apostles, his letters give us messages that people have received and in this way - now with Christ in their lives - they end up becoming new in new and newer ways. 

HOMEWORK

We could do some homework.

I think a good practiced is to take a book of the Bible for the year.  It’s still January.  One of these years pick a letter of Paul – read it and then line up say 1 key message in that letter that is worth making one’s own.

Like picking Galatians.

Like I like Galatians 6: 2: "Bear one another’s burden. In this way you'll be fulfilling the Law of Christ."

CONCLUSION

Then at the end of the year you'll hear someone say, "Wow you’ve changed."