1ST READING
Paul’s
conversion is a watershed in the life of the Early Church. Not only
does it mean that one of the major persecutors of the faithful is gone;
he, in fact, is not gone but now on the side of the Church. Think of the
credibility this gives to his proclamation of the Gospel to those who
knew him as a persecutor. Also, it demonstrates very strongly the power
of the Gospel to change the life of an individual, even someone who is
originally opposed to a particular set of beliefs.
Acts 22:3-16 (or Acts 9:1-22)
3 Paul
addressed the people in these words: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in
Cilicia, but brought up in this city. At the feet of Gamaliel I was
educated strictly in our ancestral law and was zealous for God, just as
all of you are today. 4 I persecuted this way to death, binding both men and women and delivering them to prison. 5 Even
the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify on my
behalf. For from them I even received letters to the brothers and set
out for Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem in chains for punishment
those there as well. 6 “On that journey as I drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 I replied, ‘Who are you, sir?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.’ 9 My companions saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to me. 10 I
asked, ‘What shall I do, sir?’ The Lord answered me, ‘Get up and go
into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything appointed for
you to
do.’ 11 Since I could see nothing because of the brightness of that light, I was led by hand by my companions and entered Damascus. 12 A certain Ananias, a devout observer of the law, and highly spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13 came to me and stood there and said, ‘Saul, my brother, regain your sight.’ And at that very moment I regained my
sight and saw him. 14 Then
he said, ‘The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will, to
see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice; 15 for you will be his witness before all to what you have seen and heard. 16 Now, why delay? Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away, calling upon his name.’”
P S A L M
Psalm 117:1, 2
R: Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
1 Praise the Lord, all you nations; glorify him, all you peoples! (R) 2 For steadfast is his kindness toward us, and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever. (R)
GOSPEL
Paul,
perhaps more than anyone in the life of the Early Church, literally
took the Gospel to the ends of the (known) world. Others would later
have more extensive
travels but this does not diminish the incredible commitment of Paul to
the Gospel imperative. I stand in awe of the commitment of those who
have literally traveled to the ends of the earth out of a desire to
proclaim the Gospel to those who have never heard it, even to the point
of developing alphabets in order to translate the Scriptures (like Sts.
Cyril and Methodius).
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
Mark 16:15-18
15 Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out
demons, they will speak new languages. 18 They
will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly
thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they
will recover.”
Luke 13-15LIST
think: The Gospel of Jesus has the power to change the life of anyone.
T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ___________________________
____________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today_________
____________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Luke 13-15
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