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Conversion to the Gospel of Christ (Jan 25 2021 Monday 3rd Week in Ordinary Time)
Paul, formerly called Saul, was well-known to the earliest Christians even before his conversion. It’s because he was a fierce and merciless persecutor of Christians. Then, suddenly, Jesus changed him. Now, the challenge for Paul and the Christians was how to prove his legitimacy as a Christian and an apostle of Christ. Were the great light and voice from heaven enough? Was his healing from the sudden blindness enough?
The Christians who witnessed and helped Paul, then still called Saul, were amazed at what happened to him. But they could not trust him immediately. His legitimacy only came with his proclamation of the gospel of Christ. When the Christians heard Saul preach the gospel of Christ, they probably couldn’t believe their ears. However, sooner or later, they recognized his faithfulness to the gospel of Christ. Later on, Paul had to suffer many controversies in his communities. He even had to chastise Peter for not being faithful to the gospel of Christ but siding with Judaizers who insisted on Jewish customs such as circumcision. Whenever his communities were in confusion, St Paul reminded them of the gospel of Christ. Christ’s gospel is the only measure for Christian faith.
Christianity in our generation suffers so many impurities and confusions. These impurities and confusions don’t come from Christ’s gospel. Satan and the unclear human mind bring about them. How do we cleanse them? Only by the faithfulness to the gospel of Christ.
Today we celebrate the conversion of St Paul. Why? St Paul didn’t work for his conversion at all. He doesn’t get any credit for his conversion. On the contrary, the power of the gospel and Christ radically changed a persecutor to a preacher for the Gentiles. We are celebrating the power of the gospel, the power of Christ’s word today.
It’s time to be faithful to the voice of Christ. It’s time to listen to his gospel. Let us be faithful to his teaching. As he removed the scales from Saul’s eyes, he will remove our doubts and unbelief. When we give ourselves to his gospel, Jesus will change us as he converted St Paul.
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By Fr Swann KimPaul, formerly called Saul, was well-known to the earliest Christians even before his conversion. It’s because he was a fierce and merciless persecutor of Christians. Then, suddenly, Jesus changed him. Now, the challenge for Paul and the Christians was how to prove his legitimacy as a Christian and an apostle of Christ. Were the great light and voice from heaven enough? Was his healing from the sudden blindness enough?
The Christians who witnessed and helped Paul, then still called Saul, were amazed at what happened to him. But they could not trust him immediately. His legitimacy only came with his proclamation of the gospel of Christ. When the Christians heard Saul preach the gospel of Christ, they probably couldn’t believe their ears. However, sooner or later, they recognized his faithfulness to the gospel of Christ. Later on, Paul had to suffer many controversies in his communities. He even had to chastise Peter for not being faithful to the gospel of Christ but siding with Judaizers who insisted on Jewish customs such as circumcision. Whenever his communities were in confusion, St Paul reminded them of the gospel of Christ. Christ’s gospel is the only measure for Christian faith.
Christianity in our generation suffers so many impurities and confusions. These impurities and confusions don’t come from Christ’s gospel. Satan and the unclear human mind bring about them. How do we cleanse them? Only by the faithfulness to the gospel of Christ.
Today we celebrate the conversion of St Paul. Why? St Paul didn’t work for his conversion at all. He doesn’t get any credit for his conversion. On the contrary, the power of the gospel and Christ radically changed a persecutor to a preacher for the Gentiles. We are celebrating the power of the gospel, the power of Christ’s word today.
It’s time to be faithful to the voice of Christ. It’s time to listen to his gospel. Let us be faithful to his teaching. As he removed the scales from Saul’s eyes, he will remove our doubts and unbelief. When we give ourselves to his gospel, Jesus will change us as he converted St Paul.