Homily: Third Friday of Easter

Third Friday of Easter (Acts: 9:1-20) “I Can See Clearly”

The conversion of St. Paul to Christianity was probably the third most important event in Christian history after the birth of Jesus and the Easter event. This might seem like a bold statement. Why would we say this?

St. Paul could be considered the second founder of Christianity. Jesus never wrote a word. He did not worry about a lot of theological explanation. About twenty-eight per cent of the New Testament was either written by St. Paul or influenced by his thought. In addition to that his are the earliest known writings of the New Testament.

We also can be impressed by how far Paul traveled preaching the Gospel. It is said that he traversed around 10,000 miles. He did most of this travel on foot. He also spent some time on ships. This was not the ocean travel of today. He probably slept on deck where he was exposed to the elements.

When we hear the story of Paul’s conversion, we also can be impressed by the change that took place. Paul was a Jewish Pharisee who was ready to kill Christians. The blindness that is described in the passage that we read today could be a symbol for how much Paul had to change in order to accept Christianity.

He had spiritual scales on his eyes that kept him seeing the truth of the Gospel message. There would have had to have been some other worldly influence to change his mind so dramatically about Christianity. His baptism represented a life changing event.

Today, we ask that we can always see clearly the blessing of the Gospel message. Do we feel like our Christian faith has changed our life? What would our personality be like if it was not for Jesus? Conversion is helped by a solid knowledge of our faith. After his Baptism, Paul disappears for several years. He was probably being instructed. He then became a great evangelist.

Reflection Questions:

1.    Can I look through the New Testament and see if I can pick out the works attributed to St. Paul? Paul did not write everything with his name on it in the New Testament. Why is that the case?

2.   How might people’s spiritual blindness be cured today? What do I fail to see?

Dear Parishioners,

          I like to remind people periodically that if a relative is in the hospital it is best to call our office and let us know. This always applies to those in nursing homes or that are shut in at home.

          Many time people are patients in the hospital, and we are not aware of it. Fr. Matthew and I always like to anoint those that are sick. But we must know where they are. The sacraments are very important to those who are ill. We will travel to any hospital in the area to see people.

          May Our Lady watch over us on this day.

          Fr. Mark