Word to the Wise
Friday, September 9, 2011 - Friday in the 23th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Tim 1:1-2, 12-14 and Luke 6:39-42,1065]I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry. I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief.....
The story of Paul's conversion was well known in the world of the communities founded by him. Scripture scholars tell us that the Letters to Timothy and Titus are more likely to have been written by one of Paul's disciples who took advantage of the prestige of Paul in order to have a greater impact. The concern in these letters is less doctrinal and presumes an already well organized church community. Be that as it may, Paul's conversion story would serve as a way of giving authority to the message of the writer. It seems to me that the same thing continues to be true in our own time.
"Conversion" is often thought of by Catholics as "conversion to" Catholicism from some other faith (or non-faith!) tradition. We don't often think of it as "conversion within," although this can have the same effect on those who become aware of it in someone else. The process can be dramatic or subtle but in the long run the results are displayed in the way a person lives out the commitment of faith. True "conversion" is more than going to Mass more often or saying more prayers. It means a commitment to the way one treats one's neighbor! This comes from the central command of love preached by Jesus.
One way that I have witnessed the impact of conversion over the past few years has been in retreats that I give for Permanent Deacons - either for those already ordained or for those who aspire to the Permanent Diaconate. A high percentage of these men are "converts" from other faith traditions. Their new-found faith motivates them to greater service to their neighbor! The same phenomenon occurs in those who apply for admission to seminary or religious life. Nowadays, formation programs generally insist that the new "convert" live as a "pew person" for two or three years to test out the authenticity of the conversion and to become more comfortable with the new identity! St. Paul himself did not start his ministry right away, we are told in his own account of his conversion in Galatians 1:11 - 2:1.
All of this can serve as a motivating example to those of us who are "cradle Catholics." The power of "conversion" from another faith tradition can help to motivate us to "conversion within" our own tradition. Enthusiasm AND depth are necessary, and with the grace of God and the example of "converts" we can find both! AMEN