Saturday 25 January 2025 The Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle Feast
Acts 22:3-16
Paul said to the people, ‘I am a Jew and was born at Tarsus in Cilicia. I was brought up here in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was taught the exact observance of the Law of our ancestors. In fact, I was as full of duty towards God as you are today. I even persecuted this Way to the death, and sent women as well as men to prison in chains as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify, since they even sent me with letters to their brothers in Damascus. When I set off it was with the intention of bringing prisoners back from there to Jerusalem for punishment.
‘I was on that journey and nearly at Damascus when about midday a bright light from heaven suddenly shone round me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” I answered: Who are you, Lord? and he said to me, “I am Jesus the Nazarene, and you are persecuting me.” The people with me saw the light but did not hear his voice as he spoke to me. I said: What am I to do, Lord? The Lord answered, “Stand up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told what you have been appointed to do.” The light had been so dazzling that I was blind and my companions had to take me by the hand; and so I came to Damascus.
‘Someone called Ananias, a devout follower of the Law and highly thought of by all the Jews living there, came to see me; he stood beside me and said, “Brother Saul, receive your sight.” Instantly my sight came back and I was able to see him. Then he said, “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Just One and hear his own voice speaking, because you are to be his witness before all mankind, testifying to what you have seen and heard. And now why delay? It is time you were baptised and had your sins washed away while invoking his name.”’
Psalm 116(117) Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.
Mark 16:15-18
Jesus showed himself to the Eleven and said to them: ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.’
Dal Vangelo secondo Marco
In quel tempo, [Gesù apparve agli Undici] e disse loro:
«Andate in tutto il mondo e proclamate il Vangelo a ogni creatura. Chi crederà e sarà battezzato sarà salvato, ma chi non crederà sarà condannato.
Questi saranno i segni che accompagneranno quelli che credono: nel mio nome scacceranno demòni, parleranno lingue nuove, prenderanno in mano serpenti e, se berranno qualche veleno, non recherà loro danno; imporranno le mani ai malati e questi guariranno».
Parola del Signore
Reflection:
The followers of Jesus preached an unsettling message: a carpenter from Nazareth, crucified by Roman authorities, had risen from the dead and was the promised Messiah. To Saul, this was a complete blasphemy against the God of Israel. Saul of Tarsus, was a devout Pharisee and Roman citizen. The idea that God would choose a crucified man—a form of execution reserved for the worst criminals—as the Savior of the world was unthinkable. To defend the faith of his ancestors, Saul began a campaign of persecution, dragging believers from their homes and throwing them into prison.
But Saul’s story was about to take a dramatic turn. As he journeyed from Jerusalem to Damascus, a major trading hub in Syria, Saul planned to arrest more followers of The Way. It was written he was given authority to do this but what kind of man was he? A soldier? Saul likely traveled with a group of armed men, a sign of his determination and authority. Was he an enforcer of the law – a policeman? A temple guard? How is it that he goes from a tent maker to travelling around arresting people? There is a lot about Paul we do not know. And a lot that is mysterious.
The road to Damascus was a well-traveled route, passing through the rugged Judean desert and fertile plains. On the road, Saul was struck by a blinding light and fell to the ground. Blinded and shaken, Saul was led into Damascus, where he spent three days in darkness, fasting and praying. The Road to Damascus was not just a physical journey but a symbolic one. Damascus was a crossroads of trade and culture, a fitting place for Saul to begin a mission that would eventually reach the ends of the known world. His encounter fulfilled the words of Jesus, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
It’s like Saul becomes a new person. Who we belong to, determines our identity. Saul becoming Paul, because now he belongs to God, not to a set of ideals. Paul’s story shows the transformative power of encountering Christ. The road to Damascus wasn’t just a journey of miles. It was a spiritual journey from hatred to love, from zealotry to mission. It reminds us that no one is beyond God’s grace and that the Gospel is meant to be shared with the entire world, calling all to believe and be saved.
Riflessione:
I seguaci di Gesù predicavano un messaggio inquietante: un falegname di Nazareth, crocifisso dalle autorità romane, era risorto dai morti ed era il Messia promesso. Per Saulo, questa era una completa bestemmia contro il Dio di Israele. Saulo di Tarso era un devoto fariseo e cittadino romano. L’idea che Dio avrebbe scelto un uomo crocifisso, una forma di esecuzione riservata ai peggiori criminali, come Salvatore del mondo era impensabile. Per difendere la fede dei suoi antenati, Saulo iniziò una campagna di persecuzione, trascinando i credenti fuori dalle loro case e gettandoli in prigione.
Ma la storia di Saulo stava per prendere una svolta drammatica. Mentre viaggiava da Gerusalemme a Damasco, un importante snodo commerciale in Siria, Saulo progettò di arrestare altri seguaci della Via. Era scritto che gli era stata data l’autorità di farlo, ma che tipo di uomo era? Un soldato? Saulo probabilmente viaggiava con un gruppo di uomini armati, un segno della sua determinazione e autorità. Era un esecutore della legge, un poliziotto? Una guardia del tempio? Come è possibile che passi dall’essere un fabbricante di tende a viaggiare in giro arrestando persone? C’è molto di Paolo che non sappiamo. E molto di misterioso.
La strada per Damasco era una strada molto battuta, che attraversava il deserto accidentato della Giudea e pianure fertili. Lungo la strada, Saulo fu colpito da una luce accecante e cadde a terra. Accecato e scosso, Saulo fu condotto a Damasco, dove trascorse tre giorni nell’oscurità, digiunando e pregando. La strada per Damasco non fu solo un viaggio fisico, ma simbolico. Damasco era un crocevia di commercio e cultura, un luogo adatto per Saulo per iniziare una missione che alla fine avrebbe raggiunto i confini del mondo conosciuto. Il suo incontro realizzò le parole di Gesù: “Andate in tutto il mondo e proclamate il Vangelo a ogni creatura”.
È come se Saulo diventasse una persona nuova. Ciò a cui apparteniamo determina la nostra identità. Saulo diventa Paolo, perché ora appartiene a Dio, non a un insieme di ideali. La storia di Paolo mostra il potere trasformativo dell’incontro con Cristo. La strada per Damasco non è stata solo un viaggio di miglia. È stato un viaggio spirituale dall’odio all’amore, dal fanatismo alla missione. Ci ricorda che nessuno è al di là della grazia di Dio e che il Vangelo è destinato a essere condiviso con il mondo intero, chiamando tutti a credere ed essere salvati.