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January 25, 2022In today’s first reading from Acts 22 we hear of the well-known encounter Paul had with the Risen Jesus on his way to Damascus to arrest some early Christians.
“As I was traveling along, …, a great light from the sky suddenly flashed all about me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’”
In effect, Paul was literally knocked off his feet. (No mention of any horse!)
In today’s gospel reading from Mark 16 the Risen Jesus tells his apostles,
“Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to all creation.”
I suspect it is safe to assume that none of us has ever had the experience Paul had as described in Acts.
And likewise, it is reasonable to think that God is not asking any of us to go out “into the whole world” to proclaim the Good News. Even without pandemic protocols to contend with! Though for all practical purposes, this is virtually exactly what Paul wound up doing.
So what do we have in common with Paul? Seemingly not very much.
But a closer look shows that God worked with who and what Paul already was. The same is true of us.
Before his conversion Paul was a man of passion and zeal for his Jewish religion. After his conversion Paul was a man of passion and zeal for Jesus.
What changed, what was converted, was the focus of that passion and zeal. They were now focused on the person and the message of Jesus.
To what extent is our focus on Jesus and his gospel message? And/or to what extent is it not? What in us needs to be “converted”? Or put in Ignatian terms, what are our “disordered attachments and affections”? Possessions? Pride? Ego? Prestige? Anger? …..?
“Proclaim the Good News always. If necessary, use words.” (St. Francis of Assisi)
We aren’t going to reach the ends of the earth. But we are called to proclaim the good news “always”.
How well are we living this calling and needed conversions within the confines of our own personal “little” worlds?
