Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle
Yesterday we were talking about the conversion process consisting of three movements: invitation, listening, and response. Today we can zoom in on a very powerful conversion story.
One could hardly find a more compelling story of conversion than the story of St. Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles. His was a story of extremes. The invitation for complete life reversal came to the leading persecutor of the Church. In blinding and paralyzing light, he was asked by name why he was killing someone.
Can we identify our own low-grade (in comparison to St. Paul’s) experience of being blinded by the truth and needing to be led to a point of inner change? It took a series of people moved by the Spirit to find the blind Paul and then minister to him through the words of faith, forgiveness and compassion. Who ministered to us in our moment of darkness?
Paul was baptized into a complete reversal of his passion to know and serve the Lord. It meant listening to the faith of the community. Have we learned to listen to the Holy Spirit within the faith community in a self-transforming way?
Paul launched into a new campaign to respond by using his background and his experience of the Holy Spirit leading and enlightening him. Where does the fire of the Holy Spirit take us? We may not have to go far. Could it not be that our neighbor or family member is precisely the one who is most in need of our example of joy, faith and gratitude?
Reflection by Fr. Daniel Petsche, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections