Homily: Conversion of St. Paul (Acts: 22:3-16)
Conversion of St. Paul (Acts: 22:3-16) “Christian Hater to Christ Lover”
What caused St. Paul to stop killing Christians and to become one? Paul was zealous for the Lord his whole life, but his faith was not the same throughout his life.
When Paul began his life, he was a Jew. It is said that he studied under Gamaliel who was part of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. The Sanhedrin was made up of 70 elders who met at the temple every day except Sunday. These men held sway in Jewish religious matters and at times had the power to execute people.
The fact that Paul studied under Gamaliel shows that he was very dedicated to Jewish religious law. He believed the keeping of religious law was the way to righteousness and the way to find satisfaction in life. Because Paul was so tied into the religious establishment, he could not tolerate deviation from the Jewish law. He could not tolerate the Christian movement. We hear how he cooperates with the execution of St. Stephen.
We read in the first lesson today how Paul is traveling to Damascus when he has a mystical experience. He hears Jesus calling him to conversion. Was Paul’s conversion that sudden? Things like this do happen. But this moment in time was not the end of the story.
Paul disappears for a couple of years. He then reappears and becomes one of the staunchest of Christian preachers and a great Apostle. What was Paul doing during his hidden years? We get the impression that he was learning about Christianity from the twelve. He was starting to formulate his Christian Theology.
Paul came to see that simply keeping the law was never going to bring him peace of mind. In fact, he was wracked with guilt because he could not keep religious precepts perfectly. He came to see, that belief in the mercy of Jesus was what was necessary. Salvation is a gift we don’t earn. He fell in love with the Lord and because he did, we have the church today.
Reflection Questions:
- Am I always trying to earn God’s love? How does that work out?
- Could my life change if I believed that my salvation was something that God wants me to enjoy? Could I have a better relationship with God with this understanding?
Dear Parishioners,
Tonight, we will be having a pre-baptism class. Families have put a lot of sacraments on hold during the pandemic. Hopefully, Baptism of children is not something that is neglected. The grace of being a part of God’s family is a wonderful thing. We need this connection as we go through life.
If you are reading this and know of a child that is not baptized, please have the parents call our office. We would love children to begin their life in the church and receive sacraments. What greater gift could they receive in the new year?
May Our Lady and All the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark