We Needed Paul!

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul

Acts 22:3-16; Mk 16:15-18

The feast of the Conversion of St. Paul was very important for the spread of the early Church. The ‘Apostle of Gentiles’ was unique in his missionary vision. 

There are five points to remember as we celebrate his conversion. 

1.I began to ask myself, ‘What if we did not have Paul? How drastically would it have affected Christianity?’ And the answers were amazing. It is estimated by Church historians that the Apostle Paul travelled more than 10,000 miles and established at least 14 churches. If not for Paul, none of these would have happened. Here is where we marvel at the master plan of the Divine Master. Usually, when we read a novel or watch a movie, all we look for are twists and turns that will keep us glued to the story. Likewise, God peppered the story of Christianity with the conversion of Paul. Yes! In the place of Paul, if some other apostle or disciple had been sent to preach the Good News, the listeners would not have been as intrigued. In Paul, the hearers witnessed something amazing. The enemy of God was now His emissary. His witnessing of Jesus was so convincing to his listeners that many more were attracted to his message. Paul shows us the way to convincingly preach the Good News. 

2. Paul was never ashamed of his past. Rather, he turned the obvious setback into a stepping stone. Not that he shied away from the reality of owning it. But he found his footing in his past and allowed it to shed light on his future. Owning our sinful past is not shameful. Paul demonstrates how even our bitter past can offer correctives to shape our future. 

3. Paul’s conversion culminated with the dramatic scene on the way to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9). The seeds were already planted in him when he witnessed the death of Stephen, for which he was an accessory too (Acts 8:1). Paul must have asked these questions: ‘How is it possible for someone to radiate joy and peace moments before his cruel death? Is Jesus against whom I am the one who can give me such power? Can I become his disciple after all these?’ Paul was already battling with something enigmatic and unfathomable. The stage was set and ready for God to intervene. At the exact time, when the moment was ripe, God won him over to Himself. 

4. For the spread of the Good News in neighboring countries and continents, God also needed a traveler. The traveler had to be strong and knowledgeable about roads, land, sea routes, inns, horses, etc. Paul, all rolled into one, was adept at everything. The soldier in Paul became the solider of God.

5. God needed an intellectual as well as a plebeian. God needed an ambassador as well as a pastor. Paul was the right man in whom everything was in balance. He could converse in classical languages to convince the intellectual crowd of his time. With his Roman connections, he could traverse the land easily, though it would have limited any other person. Paul appealed to his elite listeners and was more approachable to his plebeian audience. He could win over a large number of Christians. In God’s hands, Paul became a beautiful instrument. 

We needed Paul, and God gave us Paul! 

Let us follow his path to be a missionary, pastor, and witness!

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar