The Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle Feast
January 25th, 2010
St. Paul”’’s conversion (Acts 9 : 1 – 22) was a turning point in the history of the early Church. It was a call for celebration that a persecutor became a follower of Christ and later a teacher of the nations.
Today we celebrate the key to St. Paul”’’s life and mission – his conversion. Road to Damascus conversion is part of our language, conveying the idea of a radical change of direction, and it involved in Paul”’’s case a dramatic encounter with the Risen Lord. If St. Paul had not received the Holy Spirit and had not been baptized, he would not have been able to lay down his life for Christ, the Church and the Gospel.
Today, on this last day of the week of prayer for Christian unity, let us pray for the gift of unity, something to which St. Paul devoted his entire existence.
Prayer
Prayer : Lord make us one in you. Help us to celebrate St. Paul''''s conversion to the faith by following him in bearing witness to your truth.
The prayer for each day has been prepared by various members of the Holy Family Association. All who visit our website are remembered in prayer. If you would like us to pray for a particular need, simply complete and submit the form on the right hand side of this page. You may wish to leave a comment in the space below.
Just a Thought
Hope
John XXIII, referred to as the ‘caretaker Pope’, realising the widening gap between the Church and the world of his day, wrote: “An old world is disappearing. Another one is being formed, and with this I am trying to conceal some good seed or other that will have its springtime, even if it is somewhat delayed, and comes after I’m dead.”
Thomas Merton writes: “One must not give in to defeatism and despair: just as one must hope for life in a mortal illness which has been declared incurable.”
Even when dark clouds surround us, even when everything appears to be falling apart, we must continue to believe for a better future. Whatever the problem, there is a way forward.
So, my hope is in God alone because I believe in him; this is my faith. It is in him I put my faith and that faith, my belief in God’s love for me and all his creation, is the bedrock in which like an anchor, I put my hope. Together with that hope and faith is my love and fidelity in responding to that God in whom I live and move and have my being. In him I place my hope.
“Hold fast to the hope that lies before us. This we have as an anchor of the soul” (Heb 6:15-19).
