The Conversion of St. Paul

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle | USCCB

Today we celebrate the conversion of St. Paul from persecutor of the Church to belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It was a very dramatic conversion. There was the bright light, and then Paul, falling to the ground and is blinded, then hears, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Then, when he asks, "Who are you, sir?" The Lord replies, "I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting." (Acts 22:7-8) Paul is then led to Damascus and, after speaking with Annanias, is baptized. He dramatically went from persecutor of Christians to being one of the greatest defenders of the faith.

If we look more deeply into this story of St. Paul's conversion, we will see there's more to it than just the conversion of St. Paul. There's also Annanias. Earlier in Acts 9:13, when the Lord instructs Ananias to go to St. Paul and to baptize him, Ananias is afraid. “Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man, what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem." Ananias is rightly scared, but I also imagined that he may have been thinking, "Lord, I'm not going to him!!! He's killing us who believe in you and doesn't deserve your mercy and forgiveness." In a sense, Ananias has a conversion! He came to believe that Jesus has come for all people, even those people that we feel don't deserve it. God, as we see in Paul and Ananias, is able to bring salvation and conversion to all people. God is able to work through even those people that we, as God fearing people, may believe don't deserve God's mercy. 

As we meditate on the conversion of St. Paul, let us also pray for those people we know that may be away from God. People that we may think don't deserve God's love and forgiveness. Pray that they, like Paul, may come to know the love and salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us also pray for ourselves to convert from being judgmental of those who may not believe as we do to understanding that God's salvation is for EVERYONE!

ST. FRANCIS - PRO-LIFE and PRO CREATION

We have a guest blogger today. Arlene B. Muller (Arlene Clare Muller, OFS) is a lector and EM at St. Pancras Church in Glendale, NY, a singer in the choir at St. Margaret's Church in Middle Village, NY, a professed Secular Franciscan & Formation Director at St. Adalbert's Secular Franciscan fraternity in Elmhurst, NY & an itinerant speech/language therapist who works with preschool children with delayed language development. In addition to her ministries & work she seeks to promote the GOSPEL & the GOSPEL OF LIFE, especially in writing & frequently on FACEBOOK.

As we commemorate Sanctity of Life month, the annual MARCH FOR LIFE and DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE UNBORN on January 22, the anniversary of the Supreme Court's infamous Roe v Wade decision that legalized abortion on demand and that, thank the LORD, was FINALLY overturned by the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, using what we know about St. Francis and his total embrace of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST, Divine Revelation and the teaching of the Catholic Church,  let us use our spiritual creative imagination to consider how St. Francis would respond to the issues of abortion and the sanctity of all human life.

St. Francis was not a politician, and I think his experience with the military and government would not cause him to be inclined to run for political office or become a card-carrying member of any political party (options not available to him in his day but available in our present age) or to rely on government as the ultimate authority or key provider of resources. But St. Francis would be TOTALLY PRO-LIFE AND PRO CREATION. St. Francis looked to GOD as Creator and Author of Life and our Heavenly Father, and, therefore, every aspect of GOD'S Creation as his (and our) brothers and sisters. Thus, every unborn baby, as well as every elderly person and every animal are our brothers and sisters. St. Francis would be totally sad and appalled at the fact that unborn babies are being slaughtered in their mothers' wombs at ANY stage of pregnancy and especially even 

throughout pregnancy, as he would be at the abuse of elderly people, people with disabilities, sick people, and the abuse of animals.

What would St. Francis do in response, and how would he model what we should do as Secular Franciscans?

First of all PRAY: pleading for the lives of the unborn, for the women in crisis pregnancies, and for the conversion of all hearts from the culture of death to the GOSPEL OF LIFE! 

Second, without seeking any power or advantage for himself, St. Francis would seek the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and meet with people of various parties to appeal for the lives of the unborn and their mothers as he appealed to the Sultan and negotiate (without moral compromise) the way he negotiated with the wolf and the residents of Gubbio.

Third, St. Francis and St. Clare would find ways to provide a safe haven and provide for the physical/health, material, psychological, social and spiritual needs of women in crisis pregnancies, their babies--before, during and after birth--and their families, and even help them seek reconciliation with GOD and their families. I can imagine the Poor Clares and women in the Third Order getting actively involved in this ministry, using their own resources and begging alms to provide a model for wonderful organizations like GOOD COUNSEL HOMES and THE BRIDGE TO LIFE today.

Finally, St. Francis would preach--by both example and words--about the love of GOD for every one of His creatures, especially the most vulnerable, and about how every life is valuable, precious, sacred, and worthy of protection and loving care, from conception through natural death, because they (we) are created by GOD.

Repent, and believe in the gospel

 

The Scripture readings for this meditation can be found at Third Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB

Following is the reflection I wrote for my Lay Carmelite Chapter for the January 21st, 2024 meeting:

The gospel reading for today, the 3^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time is from the Gospel of St. Mark and is the familiar call of Jesus to his followers. Jesus is calling all to “repent, and believe in the gospel,” then goes on to call Siman and Andrew, and Zebedee’s sons, James, and John. They leave all they knew behind them to follow Jesus Christ. Jesus had such an impact on them, that they felt the need to drop everything to follow Jesus. They left not only their way of lives behind them, but they repented and accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We, as Lay Carmelites, are called to follow Jesus Christ as these men did. Maybe not as dramatically as they did by leaving behind everything and everyone we know, but by turning towards Jesus Christ through our call to be Lay Carmelites. We are to be examples to all those in our lives that we are indeed followers of Jesus Christ and are calling everyone in our lives to repent and believe in the gospel. It is through how we live out our lives as Lay Carmelites that we can lead others to Jesus Christ. It is by our outward way of living as Christians and as Lay Carmelites that will attract people to Jesus Christ.

We can use Our Lady at the Wedding at Cana as an example for those in our lives when they inquire about our faith, we should say to them about Jesus Christ, “Do as he tells you.”

 

He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles.

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB

In our continuation of the gospel of St. Mark, we hear of the 12 men the Lord chose to be His apostles. 12 regular men with no formal education to go and help him bring his Gospel to the world. These men, with no experience in public speaking or even spiritual training to deal with the effects of casting out demons, were chosen to bring His message to the world.

From the point of view of the world, people may have thought that these choices of Jesus were probably not the best. Peter was very outspoken and often spoke before thinking. James and John, also known as Sons of Thunder, had aspirations of greatness and were anxious to be sitting at the right and left of Jesus when He came in glory. Then there was Judas who betrayed the Lord. All these disciples were week men that the Lord entrusted His message to.

Through it all, the Lord used these men as the foundation of what will become His church. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that these men, once Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, would lead his church forward. The Holy Spirit guided them in finding a replacement for Judas, the betrayer, and the Holy Spirit continued to be with them every step of the way after Pentecost. It is through these men that Jesus chose to bring his message of salvation to the world, even to the point, in many cases, in facing persecution and death. It is through the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit that the Apostles were successful in bringing this message of the Lord’s Salvation to the whole world.

The Holy Spirit continues to guide the Lord’s church in those that have followed since the Apostles, working through every Pope since Peter and every bishop since the Apostles. We, in the Catholic Church, can claim that we believe in One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. The Church has survived over 2,000 years because of the Holy Spirit working through all the popes and bishops since the time the Lord chose these apostles.

Further, he’s calling each one of us, like the apostles, to go and preach the good news of salvation to all we meet in our lives by simply living out lives in obedience to God’s commandments as understood in the Catholic Church. We may not be called to be in the pulpit preaching the gospel, but we are called to preach the gospel in how we live. As St. Francis is credited as saying, “Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary, use words.”

Behold the Lamb of God

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found in at Second Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB

This is a reflection I submitted for the Holy Name Society for today's readings. 

In our gospel reading for this 2^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time we hear John the Baptist pointing towards Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God.” Familiar words that we, as Catholics, hear at every Mass: “Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.” John’s ministry was to help people turn away from sin through baptism, and then, when Jesus came, to point his followers towards Jesus. John’s whole ministry was to bring people into relationship with God, and to receive salvation through Jesus Christ.

Once John pointed his followers towards Jesus, they followed him and asked, “Where are you staying?” Jesus responds with the familiar words, “Come and see!”

These two phrases, “Behold the Lamb of God” and “Come and see” speak to us as Holy Name men in a very profound way. First, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to bring other people to know Jesus Christ by pointing them towards Him, and say, “Behold the Lamb of God.” People in our lives should see in us devoted Catholic Men and should be curious as to why we live out our lives according to the commandments of God, as taught by the Catholic Church. If they are curious as to why we do what we do, by living out our lives in a devoted and Christ-filled way, we are pointing towards Christ, and in effect, are saying, “Behold the Lamb of God.”

If their curiosity continues and they want to know even more about our faith, invite them to Mass and to the Holy Name meetings, and say to them: “Come and See.” By bringing them to mass and to the monthly Holy Name meetings, they will encounter the Messiah, the Christ. This will help them on their journey in relationship with Christ. Further, you’ll be answering the call as Christians in bringing others to know Christ by your actions and your invitation.

Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever!

Who but God alone can forgive sins?

 

Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB

During this week we’ve been hearing about Jesus as told through the Gospel of St. Mark. Earlier this week we hear of John the Baptist saying of Jeus, “One mightier than I is coming after me.” (Mark 1:7) Then we hear of Jesus entering the synagogue and all the people being astonished at His teachings, “for he taught as one having authority and not as the scribes.” (Mark 1:22) Then Jesus goes on to heal Simon Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:31), then cures the leper. (Mark 1:41) Jesus is developing a reputation of being a great prophet. He was bringing God’s love and healing to those who felt distant from God.

In today’s gospel we see Jesus has already attracted a large following. A following so large that these friends who wanted to help their paralytic friend were unable to get in through the front entrance. They heard about the power of Jesus and wanted their friend to be healed. As a result, they did not let the blocked entrance stop them from bringing their friend to Jesus for healing.

Once inside, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:5) This didn’t sit well with the scribes. Right away they accuse Jesus of blasphemy. After all, who can forgive sins but God alone? This was a teaching moment for Jesus for the scribes and all those around him. Not only can he heal any physical problems someone is having, but he can also forgive their sins.

In this gospel, we are to learn two things: first, we can always turn to the Lord Jesus for forgiveness of our sins. He does that now through the sacrament of confession. We need to always realize that we are sinners, and we are able to receive that forgiveness of sins through confession. Regular use of the sacrament brings healing and peace to us in our lives.

Second, in addition to ourselves turning to Jesus when we have problems or issues, we can be like these friends in today’s Gospel: we are called to bring others to Jesus Christ. We all know people who may not be in relationship with Jesus Christ. They may have problems and issues that seem to be insurmountable. They may feel alienated or distant from Jesus and His Church. We are called to bring the love of Christ to them by how we live out our lives as Christians. We are to show them the love of God by how we love them in turn. Then we can invite them to attend mass with us on Sunday so they can experience this love of Jesus firsthand. Further, if they seem unwilling to come to the Lord at Mass, we can pray for them to know that the Lord truly loves them. By praying for them and their intentions, God will respond in ways that will be beneficial to them at whatever point they are in their lives and in their relationship with God. The Lord will hear our prayers in ways that we may never know.

Let us continue to pray for ourselves and those we love to grow ever closer to Jesus. Let us pray as we heard in the psalm for today: “For ever I will sing of the goodness of the Lord.”

“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at The Baptism of the Lord | USCCB

Today we are celebrating the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordon River by John the Baptist. In our gospel reading from Mark, chapter 1, vs 7-11, we hear John the Baptist proclaim of Jesus, “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:7-8) John's whole ministry in life was to proclaim the love of God for, call people to repent from their sinful behavior, and to point people towards Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 

John is a wonderful example of how we are to live out our lives. He called people to turn away from sin, and he pointed people towards the Messiah. He didn't care to receive glory or praise for himself. He was concerned with bringing others to know God and to follow God's commandments. He was always open, honest and truthful. He was not so much concerned with his own comfort but rather being "right" with God, which ultimately got him to be killed (See Matthew 14:7)

We, like John the Baptist, are called to share our faith that Jesus Christ is the Messiah with others in our lives. It can be hard at times since not everyone can accept that Jesus is the Messiah. But we need not be afraid to share this faith in Jesus Christ with other. We can do it in the way we live out our lives as Christians, and, when asked about our faith in Jesus Christ, feel free to share the Good News that Jesus Christ is our Savior. And then pray for those people you share your faith with that they, too, may one day come to faith in Jesus Christ.