Gospel: January 25, 2025
January 25, 2025 (Saturday)
Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle
Psalter: Proper / (White)
Ps 117:1bc, 2
Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
1st Reading: Acts 22:3-16 (or Acts 9:1-22)
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up here, in this city, where I was educated in the school of Gamaliel, according to the strict observance of our law. And I was dedicated to God’s service, as are all of you today. As for this way, I persecuted it to the point of death and arrested its followers, both men and women, throwing them into prison. The High Priest and the whole Council of elders can bear witness to this. From them, I received letters for the Jewish brothers in Damascus; and I set out to arrest those who were there, and bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment. But, as I was traveling along, nearing Damascus, at about noon, a great light from the sky suddenly flashed about me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me: ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ I answered: ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me: ‘I am Jesus, the Nazorean, whom you persecute.’ The men who were with me saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. I asked: ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord replied: ‘Get up and go to Damascus; there, you will be told all that you are destined to do.’ Yet, the brightness of that light had blinded me; and, so, I was led by the hand into Damascus by my companions. There, a certain Ananias came to me. He was a devout observer of the law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who were living there. As he stood by me, he said: ‘Brother Saul, recover your sight.’ At that moment, I could see; and I looked at him. He, then, said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Just One, and to hear the words from his mouth. From now on you shall be his witness before all the pagan people, and tell them all that you have seen and heard. And now, why delay? Get up and be baptized; and have your sins washed away, by calling upon his Name.’
Gospel: Mark 16:15-18
Then he told them, “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; the one who refuses to believe will be condemned. Signs like these will accompany those who have believed: in my name they will cast out demons and speak new languages; they will pick up snakes, and if they drink anything poisonous, they will be unharmed; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
Reflection:
“Go out to the whole world…”
The word conversio literally means “to turn around,” and Saint Paul’s conversion is a clear example of a complete change of direction in life, from being a determined persecutor of the Way, that is, the Christian faith, to becoming Christ’s faithful apostle to the nations. What a change! And it all starts with a personal encounter with Christ himself. He was privileged “to see the Just One, and to hear the words from his mouth.” However, Saul’s conversion should not be viewed as if it were a purely private experience. In his blindness, he is led to the Christian community by his companions, and he comes to understand his faith and vocation through the ministry of Ananias, who baptizes him and commands him in God’s name to bear “witness before all the pagan people.” Although there are important moments in our lives when we turn to God or return to him, conversion is also a daily action, which we live out through personal prayer and with the support of the Church through its preaching and the Sacraments. May we listen for Christ’s call in our own lives and seek to be his faithful witness in our own day.
