Reflection for TUESDAY, The Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle.
By
Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Rector and Parish Priest
Don Bosco Shrine
Lingarajapuram, Bangalore
Today's Gospel Verses
Mark 16:15-18
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
Today's Reflection
A word can have a few shades of meanings depending on the context, the usage, the sentence, etc.
Today's feast is called the Conversion of St. Paul.
What is generally understood is that St. Paul converted from being a persecutor of Christianity to become a missionary for Christ and an Apostle to the Gentiles.
The conversion is not from one faith to another. Rather the conversion as understood in the life of St. Paul is an enlightenment and a clarification of his understanding of God and who Jesus really is.
This feast also reminds us that no conversion is impossible because God wants all to be saved.
If St. Paul can turn from being a persecutor of Christianity to a proclaimer of the Good News, then there is certainly hope for those so-called hardcore sinners.
May we ourselves be converted to believe that God is truly merciful, compassionate and forgiving.
And may we not judge those who do evil. Rather we must pray for them for Jesus wants to save them too.
GOD BLESS YOU
Good morning. Have a nice safe day