Homilies

CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL: AN INVITATION TO RENEW OURSELVES

MY LIFE has been an open book. My friends know my ups and downs. People in my own hometown are witnesses of what my life has been, including my own personal struggles and issues, and weaknesses.  As I journey through life, with the grace of God, I always find myself facing the challenge of constant renewal and “conversions”.  More often, I would always have the chance to hear people saying to me, “Binago ka na pala ni Lord ha…”

Today, the whole Catholic Church commemorates the Conversion of St. Paul.  How do we understand by Paul’s conversion?  For Paul, he was just fulfilling what is right for him under the Law. Elsewhere. he was righteous and blameless under the Law (Phil. 3:6).  According to scholars, Paul’s conversion is an experience of a call, that is, God’s initiative.  Indeed, it was not Paul who converted himself to Christ but Christ who drew Paul nearer to himself.

Jesus’ identity must never be that clear for Paul.  He had a vague and dark picture of Jesus.  However, in the First Reading, on his way to Damascus a great light from the sky shone around him, a light that blinded him.  Paul’s blindness is caused by his refusal to acknowledge and to accept the Light, the Truth, that is, Jesus himself.  Yet, Jesus Christ reached out even more by making himself known: “I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.”  Paul sees this experience of meeting Jesus as his own call or commissioning, as in his Letter to the Galatians which states that God set him apart and called him through his grace, and revealed His Son to him so that Paul might proclaim Him to the Gentiles (Gal. 1:15).

In our lives, there are many times in which we refuse to see and to acknowledge the Light, the Truth.  This makes us blind and deaf to see the reality of Christ.  Consequently, we would never hear and heed the call of Christ. Paul’s conversion invites us to constantly renew ourselves and to come nearer to Christ in order to hear the call, to regain our sight, and to know God’s will.

Paul, after his conversion, went into the ends of the world to proclaim Christ, the Good News.  For us Christians, who are baptized in the name of Christ, we should ask ourselves what are we called for and for what we are commissioned to do.  The Gospel for today gives us two points: first, we have the task to preach.  The Gospel moves us to go into the world and preach the goodness; and that he who believes and is baptized will be saved and he who does not, will be condemned.  It is indeed our duty, as faithful followers of Christ, to tell the story of Jesus to others, to be heralds of Christ.  Second is that we have the task to heal, just as Christ wished to bring health to the body and health to the soul.  The Gospel states, “if they (referring to the disciples being commissioned by God) drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."

With these, we ask ourselves what are the things that are of great value to us; what are the things that control us and that move us?  Have we put first the value of Christ in our lives or have we put instead our personal things and preoccupations? We pray that we may always have the courage and faith to stay with Christ, and be open for constant “conversions” towards Christ.  God bless!


                                                                                            [FR. PERCY SINGCO, MSP
                                                                                              MSP Mission House, Davao City}

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