Word to the Wise
Monday, January 25, 2010 - The Conversion of St. Paul
[Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22 and Mark 16:15-18]"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" I replied, "Who are you, sir?" And he said to me, "I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting."
After the death and resurrection of Jesus, it would be hard to find an event of greater significance in Christian history than the conversion of Saint Paul. Events such as the Edict of Milan [313 AD] by Constantine, which ended official Roman persecution of the church, or the Protestant Reformation/Council of Trent [1545-1563] presume the very church of which Paul is considered by some to be the "second founder!" The reason is simple. Paul made the decision to take the gospel outside the Jewish community and preach it to those who were considered pagans and infidels! He defended this decision and its consequences for fundamental marks of Jewish identity (such as circumcision and other Mosaic observances) at the "Council of Jerusalem" and thus the church became an international reality instead of remaining a sect of Judaism! The three accounts in the Acts of the Apostles (two of them noted above, the third in Acts 26:12-18) mention an important theological reality. Jesus identifies himself with the church. Paul is accused of persecuting Jesus, not just some members of a heterodox Jewish sect! Even if these accounts are all by St. Luke, the author of Acts of the Apostles, they reflect what Paul preaches in his letters about the "Body of Christ." Paul's life, after his conversion, was given to spreading the good news and establishing the church as a community in the Mediterranean world of his time. The gospel is established in community and Paul's communities had more than their share of problems. Nevertheless, we cannot ignore those words of Jesus. Those who believe they can "cut a separate deal" with Jesus and ignore the church (warts and all) are trying to do the impossible. AMEN A NOTE TO THE BELOVED CONGREGATION: Each year, the Southern Dominican Province, to which I belong, embraces its mendicant (begging) vocation and appeals to family and friends for donations to help educate our seminarians and care for our elderly and infirm. We call this the 1216 CAMPAIGN. (The Order was founded in the year 1216.) If you would care to help us continue our mission of PREACHING (our official title is THE ORDER OF PREACHERS - O.P.) you may send a donation to The 1216 CAMPAIGN, c/o Southern Dominican Province, 1421 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie, LA 70001-4144. Please mark your donation as being for the 1216 Campaign. If you wish to note you heard about it here, that would be helpful. All donations are tax deductible. Many, many thanks!