Christ the Cornerstone
Like St. Paul, let’s draw closer to Christ, lead others to him
Tomorrow, Jan. 25, we will celebrate the Conversion of St. Paul. We especially recall the moment when Saul, who was zealously persecuting the young Church, encountered the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus. This face-to-face meeting changed Saul’s life and contributed directly to the growth of the Church and the spiritual formation of millions of people, up to and including our present day.
The remarkable evangelizing ministry of this great saint (now called Paul) is something that every baptized Christian is called to imitate in his or her own way.
Most of us cannot travel, write or inspire local communities the way St. Paul did, but we can cultivate our personal relationship with Jesus (especially in the Eucharist), and we can do our part to share with others the Good News of our salvation in Christ. This is what it means to be a missionary disciple: to go forth in joy and hope proclaiming the Gospel to everyone we meet along the way.
The story told in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 9:1-22) is inspiring. “Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains” (Acts 9:1-2).
It is shocking to think that the man we now consider one of the pivotal figures in Christian history began by committing “hate crimes” against a vulnerable minority in the Roman Empire. His story—and ours—might have turned out very differently had Christ not intervened.
Scripture tells us that the Risen Lord refused to allow his young Church to be thwarted by a murderous zealot:
“On [Saul’s] journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ He said, ‘Who are you, sir?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do’ ” (Acts 9:3-6).
Many artistic portrayals of this dramatic event show Saul literally being “knocked off his high horse.” It was certainly a humiliation and a life-altering experience for him. St. Luke says he was struck blind and had to be led by hand the rest of the way.
Once he arrived in Damascus, he was placed under the care of a follower of Jesus named Ananias. The Lord appeared to Ananias in a vision and told him to “lay his hands on [Saul] that he may regain his sight” (Acts 9:12). Ananias wasn’t sure about this, saying, “Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man, what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name” (Acts 9:13-14). But Jesus had other plans and said to Ananias: “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings and children of Israel, and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name” (Acts 9:15-16).
Jesus chose St. Paul to be his instrument. This demonstrates how God can take evil and transform it for his purposes. Even great sinners can see the light of Christ and be changed. Of course, Saul could have refused to accept the grace of Christ that transformed his life. He could have clung to the blind hate that motivated his persecution of Jesus’ followers. But Paul set aside his rigid approach to religious faith, and he opened his mind and heart to a new way. As a result, he became the man we reverence and respect as perhaps the greatest missionary disciple who has ever lived.
St. Paul’s entire life changed as a result of his personal encounter with Jesus. St. Luke tells us that Ananias obeyed the Lord. He went and laid hands on his former enemy, saying:
“Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:17). Immediately, things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized, and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.
Filled with the Holy Spirit, St. Paul went out to the whole world. His words and actions now resonate across the millennia reaching every corner of the globe. Let us praise God for the wonders he works through us, his chosen instruments! †