FEAST OF THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL by Leonard Goffine, 1871

[Dawn Marie]

FEAST OF THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL

by Leonard Goffine, 1871

The full history of this conversion is given in this day's Lesson, which is taken from the Acts of the Apostles.

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The Introit of the Mass is as follows: I know whom I have believed and I am certain, that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him, against that day. (ii. Tim. i. 12.) Lord, thou hast proved me, and hast known me: thou hast known my sitting down and my uprising. Glory be to the Father, &c. -- This Introit shows, how valuable are good works in God's eyes, since He so faithfully preserves them for reward.

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PRAYER OF THE CHURCH. O God, who, by the preaching of blessed Paul Thy Apostle, didst instruct the whole world; grant, we beseech Thee, that we, who this day honor his conversion, may, by his example, learn to come to Thee. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, &c.

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LESSON. (Acts ix. 1 - 22.) In Those Days: Saul breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues, that if he found any men and women of this way, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. And as he went on his journey, it came to pass that he drew nigh to Damascus: and suddenly a light from heaven shined round about him. And falling on the ground he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Who said: Who art thou, Lord? And he said: I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against the goad. And he trembling and astonished, said: Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said to him: Arise, and go into the city, and there it shall be told thee what thou must do. Now the men who went in company with him stood amazed, hearing indeed a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw nothing. But they leading him by the hand, brought him to Damascus. And he was there three days without sight, and he did neither eat nor drink. Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias: and the Lord said to him in a vision: Ananias. And he said: Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said to him: Arise and go into the street that is called Strait, and seek in the house of Judas, one named Saul of Tarsus. For behold, he prayeth. (And he saw a man named Ananias, coming in and putting his hands upon him, that he might recover his sight.) But Ananias answered: Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints in Jerusalem: and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that invoke thy name. And the Lord said to him: Go thy way, for this man is to me a vessel of election, to carry my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house: and laying his hands upon him, he said: Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus hath sent me, he that appeared to thee in the way as thou camest: that thou mayest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell upon his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight: and rising up he was baptized. And when he had taken meat, he was strengthened. And he was with the disciples that were at Damascus for some days. And immediately he preached Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. And all that heard him were astonished, and said: Is not this he who persecuted in Jerusalem those who called upon this name: and came hither for that intent that he might carry them bound to the chief priests? But Saul increased much more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, affirming that this is the Christ.

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What are we taught by this history?

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That we should not despise any sinner, nor despair of his conversion; for the greatest sinner may be at once converted by the grace of God, and even become a great saint, like St. Paul, who, while he was seeking to exterminate the Christians, became a chosen instrument in the hands of God for the instruction of the people; that we should fervently pray for the conversion of sinners, as did St. Stephen for Saul (this was Paul's name before he became a Christian) and won by his prayer the grace of his conversion. (Acts vii. 57 - 59.) To pray for the conversion of sinners, is to make fruitful for them the sufferings of Christ, cooperating with those sufferings, that the heartfelt wish of our Saviour who came into this world to save sinners, and who still intercedes for them in heaven, may be realized.

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Let us learn from this, how we must preserve our conversion. Paul at his conversion became physically blind, but spiritually so enlightened, that he immediately exclaimed: Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? He then, by God's direction, took Ananias as his guide in the way of salvation, and he afterwards spoke as much for the honor of Christ as he had previously persecuted the faithful. In the same manner a convert should close his eyes to everything which has led him wrongly, and look only at that which God requires from him; he should furthermore entrust himself to an experienced spiritual director, following his instructions in all things; finally, he must now devote himself as fervently to the honor of God and of virtue as he was previously attached to the world, the flesh, and everything evil, and never permit himself to be turned from the right way, either by persecution or by mockery.

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GOSPEL. (Matt. xix. 27 - 29.) At That Time: Peter said to Jesus: Behold, we have left all things, and have followed thee: what therefore shall we have? And Jesus said to them: Amen, I say to you, that you who have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit on the seat of His majesty, you also shall sit on twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name's sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall possess life everlasting.

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Why is this gospel read today?

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Because, although St. Paul did not follow Christ, while He was yet living on earth, he was called to the apostleship by Christ Himself, and, like the rest of the apostles, left everything to follow Christ, and labored and endured even more than the others in the propagation of the gospel. He will, therefore, with the rest of the apostles come with Christ, to judge not only the world, but even the fallen angels. He is, therefore, venerated by the Church in connection with St. Peter as a prince of the apostles.

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How did Peter and the other apostles leave all, since they had but little to leave?

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This St. Gregory thus explains: "We must consider the inclination and love for a thing more than the value of the thing itself." Although Peter possessed but little, he gave up all inclination for that little and, therefore, he left much; for St. Bernard says: "He leaves much who yields up the will to possess." This St. Peter did. But he who leaves honors and riches and everything for God, and yet retains the desire for them, gives up but little and has no merit in the abnegation. So likewise every one of you that doth not renounce all that he possesseth, that is, all inclination for it, cannot be my disciple. (Luke xiv. 33.)

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Why did Peter ask a reward?

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This may have been done out of selfinterest (for the apostles were not yet free from every imperfection), but Christ permitted the question and made it the occasion to announce the reward which would be given to those who sincerely follow Him.

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Why did Christ promise the apostles, that they should sit in judgment with Him?

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To encourage them to perseverance in following Him, and in bravely bearing disgrace and persecution from the world; to let it be known to them and to all who adhere to Christ in poverty and humiliation, what exaltation will be given them at the end of the world; to show the followers of this world who regard Christ's adherents as most foolish, the folly and madness of their judgment, for which they themselves will be condemned.

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Why does Christ, since he commands us to love our parents and relations, promise us a reward for leaving them?

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This does not interfere with the command to love them in so far as they are our parents, but, as St. Gregory says, "only in so far as they are obstacles in the way to God and our salvation;" we must shun and avoid them, that is, we are not required to follow them, if they advise or command us to do anything which is contrary to God's commandments or injurious to our salvation.

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What is understood by the hundredfold which Christ promises in return for temporal possessions?

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St. Jerome explains it to mean the spiritual benefits, the grace of God, the virtues, the interior consolation and satisfaction which are a hundredfold, that is, infinitely more valuable than temporal riches. O how small and trivial is that which we leave and of which death would, in any event, deprive us, for the love of God! How indescribably great are the treasures which God in this life and in the next gives in return! Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him. (i. Cor. ii. 9.)

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SUPPLICATION TO ST. PAUL. O great Apostle, St. Paul, whom the voice of the Lord cast to the ground, that thou mightest arise to true penance, and who thus from being a vessel of dishonor became a vessel of election, from being the enemy of Christ was changed into His most faithful defender and friend, I beseech thee to ask the grace from Christ for me, that I may now rightly know and love Him whose enemy I have been, and by my sins have crucified; that I may follow him and according to thy example as zealously practise justice as I have hitherto practised malice, so that I may obtain equal salvation with thee. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, &c. Amen.