Paul had one goal after his conversion on the road to Damascus, and that was to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth. The second half of the book of Acts documents many of the places Paul went in pursuit of this goal. In today’s story, we see how Paul’s clarity of his vision for Christ’s Gospel helps him to see opportunities in the most unlikely of places: his arrest. Paul makes an appeal, based on his Roman citizenship, to go before the emperor in Rome to plead his case. Why did Paul do this? Was it merely a political maneuver to extend his life as long as possible? Paul seems to be after a bigger prize than just an extension on his life. Paul’s appeal to Rome guarantees that he will be able to spread the Gospel to even more people during his journey to, and time in, Rome. In fact, the book of Acts makes it very clear that Paul’s journey to Rome led to some dramatic and powerful missionary opportunities for people to hear the Gospel through Paul. Paul lived out those famous words in the book of Genesis “even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good” (Gen. 50:20). Paul transformed what was intended for ill, into an opportunity for God to work through him to reach others.
Paul’s example, in today’s readings, offers us an inspiring model for reflection. As human beings, we will undergo challenges, sufferings, and face those who will intend us no apparent good. As Christians, how will we look to transform these harsh moments or aspects of our lives into moments for the Lord to work through us in the spreading of His word and grace to others? A concrete example might be the present health pandemic. What opportunities within this difficult time were (or are) possible for the transformation of something evil into moments of goodness and grace? Or, like springtime, how are we seeing the budding of new graced opportunities as life begins to return to a new normal? God did not take a break for these past two months. He has been laboring within the world, within His Church, and within each of us, to bring about goodness from this time of suffering. Where are we being called to see opportunities to join him in this redemptive mission?