24 April 2015
Friday of the Third Week of Easter
Everyone has a conversion at some point in his or her lives whether it occurs from a conversation with a high school professor, a service trip in college, a job change, or even in the hustle and bustle of daily life. Saul experiences his radical conversion in what should have been a routine journey to Damascus to find believers of the Way. The light, dialogue with Jesus, and ensuing three-day blindness (Acts 9:3-9) presented such a full transformation for him that he changed his name from Saul to Paul and became one of the greatest missionaries for the Christian Church.
Through today’s reading, we find out that Saul’s persecution of Christians affected the Christian community by directly attacking her heart. In addition to attacking individuals, Saul’s persecution of Christians was also a directly attacking against Christ, Himself (cf. Matthew 25:40, 45). Ananias even acknowledges Saul’s bad reputation among the Christian community by telling the Lord how fearful he is of Saul (Acts 9:13-14). Yet the Lord assures him that Saul is “a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). Indeed, after being divinely commissioned, Paul will go on to write seven letters and possibly more proclaiming “what Christ has accomplished through [him] to lead Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, [and] by the spirit [of God] (Romans 15:18-19). May we, at the end of this week, continue on in the missionary spirit of Paul to proclaim that Gospel to all people!