Today we celebrate the Conversion of St. Paul. Saul, before he was Paul, was a stellar Pharisee and defender of his faith. He learned at the feet of one of the top rabbi’s of his time, Gamaliel, and as he himself said, was “zealous for God”. So much so that he “persecuted this Way to death” (Acts 22:3-4). The Way was the term used early on for those Jewish people who followed Jesus.

The turning point for Saul was his miraculous encounter with Jesus as he was on his way to Damascus to persecute more people of the Way. The phrase that Jesus used when he spoke, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me” (Acts 22:7) was an interesting one. He could have said, “Why are you persecuting my Church, the children of God, your brothers and sisters” or any other choice, but instead he chose, “Why are you persecuting me?”

Jesus is showing the intimate connection that he has achieved through his being born as one of us, suffering and dying and conquering death for each of us, rising and ascending back to the right hand of the Father, still fully human and divine, such that he can come at this point and time to have an encounter with his most zealous of persecutors of the Way.

The encounter with Jesus is enough. Saul is stunned beyond anything he could have imagined. He was not struck by a sword, a smashing blow, or a trip wire across his path. He was stopped by a great light that surrounded him. Jesus, the “light that shines in the darkness” (John 1:5) did not condemn him, nor punish him. He asked a question and then told him what he was going to do next.

It would take another three years for Saul to work out this encounter, but once he did so, he made an incredible 180 degree turn in his life. The Way who he had been persecuting would now become the major focus of his life. He surrendered totally to Jesus and gave everything he had, even his life.

The encounter that Saul had with Jesus offers us a very strong message that we need to allow to sink into the depths of our being. There is nothing that we have done that God will not forgive us for. As Saul said, he was “persecuting this Way to death.” St. Stephen was at least one of those who died at Saul’s command. If anything just came to mind, if just the mere hint of a whisper, “Oh but God will not forgive…” Fill in the blank or blanks. Sorry, that is the voice of the liar, the deceiver, the enemy. That is not God’s voice. Don’t believe it for a minute, for a second. Renounce that thought in the name of Jesus.

God will forgive us. Period. Full stop. As we heard a few days ago. Jesus who was beginning his public ministry said, “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). That is exactly what Saul did and became Paul and a saint. That is what we are invited to do this morning.

Photo: Rosary walk during canonical retreat at Bethany Center, Lutz, FL.

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, January 25, 2024