Homily - conversion of saint paul (weekday feast ) 25th January 2020
Please note that this is a weekday feast and not the Sunday's Readings and texts:
Readings:
Acts 22:3-16
or
9:1-22;
Ps 116:1-2."Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News."
Gospel Acclamation: cf John 15:16 Alleluia, alleluia! I have chosen you from the world, says the Lord, to go and bear fruit that will last. Alleluia!
Mk 16:15-18
Image: Shutterstock Licensed stock photo ID: 753853219. LONDON, GREAT BRITAIN - SEPTEMBER 17, 2017: The mosaic of Conversion of St. Paul in Westminster cathedral and Blessed Sacrament Chapel designed by Boris Anrep (middle 20. cent.). Photo by Renata Sedmakova
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Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers and reflections for the - conversion of saint paul by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/non-sunday-feast-faith-hope-and-love-ep-201-the-feast-of-the-conversion-of-saint-paul/s-S2bMR (EPISODE: 201)
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{Please note that this is a weekday feast and not the Sunday's Readings and texts}:
Prologue - A special celebration this weekend. Not a Sunday in the church calendar year, but a weekday feast day…. The Conversion of Saint Paul - the apostle to the gentiles…. Saint Paul is my namesake feast day, and I truly treasure sharing the name Paul, with this astounding figure in the very early years of the growth of Our Lord's church. God's grace is at its most dramatic and astounding when a person stubbornly committed to persecuting the Way of Christ ends up having a complete conversion and becoming the greatest defender and preacher of Christ's message. A truly inspiring example of God's power/…. "there is no depth that God's grace can not descend to, to find the lost,.. there is no limit to the heights Our Lord can lift up even the worst sinner….. ". This is faith hope and love.
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I have always loved stories of conversion and of a major change of heart and mind. Because, it is at the centre of the experience of humanity in relation to our loving, patient and long-suffering God.
Today's feast of Saint Paul's conversion is an example of this in excellent form!
What an amazing turnaround. God can even transform and make use of his most strident opponents and change them into his greatest champions. God's grace, love and mercy, in equal measure, re-order our misguided zeal and refine our human qualities to direct them to their proper purpose in building up his Kingdom of justice, mercy and grace.
This is certainly a moment and a quality that is well worth noting and commemorating.
One thing is clear; Paul, or as he was originally named, Saul, meant well. He was ZEALOUS AND uncompromising in his desire to serve God by keeping the letter of the law and harshly dealing with anyone whom he believed was watering down his God's message. The irony was that Paul by persecuting the followers of Jesus was well-meaningless but utterly wrongly serving his God. Unknown to Paul at that time, Jesus is God's Son and the Messiah - the chosen one of God. All who follow him are being faithful to God's plan. Saul was ignorant of this and saw this motley band of disciples of Jesus as a threat - when in fact they were the hope of the Kingdom dawning. So, he sets off on the road to Damascus intent on destroying these followers of Jesus, only to have a profound experience along the way that completely changes him. He meets the risen Christ. (It is fascinating that Paul, one of Christ's most vocal preachers and disciples, never met the earthly Jesus when he walked along the paths of the Holy Lands in his earthly ministry. Paul first encountered Jesus in his risen form, when he heard Jesus voice on the road to Damascus. It was then that he heard this voice from God saying "Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Saul asks - who are you and how am I persecuting you? And the answer hits him like a rock…. I am Jesus, and you are persecuting me by mistreating my followers. The sudden shock that this zealous and law-abiding Jewish Pharisee, an expert in the law, was - by focusing only on the letter of the law, was actually thwarting the point of God's law and opposing God's plans, not only changed Paul to be a loyal Christian but changed his attitude to the right application of God's law. The Law of God is an expression of a God who loves his people and whose love and grace and Holy Spirit is at the heart of any attempts to express or codify GOD'S ways.
The reading today feature Paul's testimony to his own conversion. Once he realised his error, Paul was able to put his determination, his previously misdirected passion and his loyalty at the service of Christ's gospel by tirelessly preaching of Christ and him crucified and Risen….and of the Holy Spirit who empowers all good efforts. Paul even was able to set aside his idea that one had to be Jewish and fulfil Jewish rituals to be a member of God's family and set about preaching to Gentiles and new lands and defending the right of those who were not Jewish to convert to Christ without first converting to Judaism. Saint Paul is considered to be, by some historians, the second most important figure in the formation of the fledgeling Church after Our Lord. (*). He was a major part of the push to proclaim the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth and to people of all nations and cultures.
On this feast day, let us recall the times when we "figuratively) fell off our high horses, and experienced a conversion of heart and mind… when we saw our actions and focus in a new way that radically changed our priorities ever after this. Me personally, I relate strongly to my namesake. He studied law and started off being a bit too focused on the letter of the law rather than the intention and spirit behind the law. A change of focus changes everything and helps us to encounter the loving, gentle, compassionate, merciful and parent-like God that is behind every law, every divine teaching and every action that motivates it and directs it.
Thanks be to God for his grace that gave us such a wonderful preacher, and apostle, and one who had such a bad start and a perfect conclusion - Thanks be to God who turns our hearts and minds to his values, to his heart and good purposes.
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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
Image: Shutterstock Licensed stock photo ID: 753853219. LONDON, GREAT BRITAIN - SEPTEMBER 17, 2017: The mosaic of Conversion of St. Paul in Westminster cathedral and Blessed Sacrament Chapel designed by Boris Anrep (middle 20. cent.). Photo by Renata Sedmakova
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
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Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love, - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly
Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)
"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.
Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).
{Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - by Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The ….Gloria, copyright 2011 ccwatershed.org. }
"Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of William John Kelly - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul Kelly. Arranged, with additional lyrics and sung by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
"Today I Arise" - For Patricia Kelly. By Paul W. Kelly.. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer. Arranged, with additional lyrics and sung by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
[ Production - KER 2020 ]
May God bless and keep you.
(conversion of saint paul)
(EPISODE: 201)
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My brothers and sisters, trusting in Gods mercy and love let us call to mind our sins.
Lord Jesus, you are the image of the unseen God: Lord, have mercy.//
You are the firstborn of all creation: Christ, have mercy//
You are the head of the body, the Church: Lord, have mercy//
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
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Preface of Apostles I
Eucharistic Prayer II
Communion side. pwk: RH
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{Thanks everyone, and have a wonderful feast day, inspired and transformed by the Gospel of Our Lord, as preached by the apostle to the Gentiles...Saint Paul. .}
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