20240125 ENCOUNTER WITH THE DIVINE MERCY IS THE FUNDAMENTAL CONVERSION
25 January 2024, Thursday, The Conversion of St Paul, Apostle
First reading | Acts 22:3-16 © |
'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'
Paul said to the people, ‘I am a Jew and was born at Tarsus in Cilicia. I was brought up here in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was taught the exact observance of the Law of our ancestors. In fact, I was as full of duty towards God as you are today. I even persecuted this Way to the death, and sent women as well as men to prison in chains as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify, since they even sent me with letters to their brothers in Damascus. When I set off it was with the intention of bringing prisoners back from there to Jerusalem for punishment.
‘I was on that journey and nearly at Damascus when about midday a bright light from heaven suddenly shone round me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” I answered: Who are you, Lord? and he said to me, “I am Jesus the Nazarene, and you are persecuting me.” The people with me saw the light but did not hear his voice as he spoke to me. I said: What am I to do, Lord? The Lord answered, “Stand up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told what you have been appointed to do.” The light had been so dazzling that I was blind and my companions had to take me by the hand; and so I came to Damascus.
‘Someone called Ananias, a devout follower of the Law and highly thought of by all the Jews living there, came to see me; he stood beside me and said, “Brother Saul, receive your sight.” Instantly my sight came back and I was able to see him. Then he said, “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Just One and hear his own voice speaking, because you are to be his witness before all mankind, testifying to what you have seen and heard. And now why delay? It is time you were baptised and had your sins washed away while invoking his name.”’
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 116(117) © |
Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.
or
Alleluia!
O praise the Lord, all you nations,
acclaim him all you peoples!
Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.
or
Alleluia!
Strong is his love for us;
he is faithful for ever.
Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Jn15:16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I chose you from the world
to go out and bear fruit,
fruit that will last,
says the Lord.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 16:15-18 © |
Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News
Jesus showed himself to the Eleven and said to them:
‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.’
ENCOUNTER WITH THE DIVINE MERCY IS THE FUNDAMENTAL CONVERSION
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22; Ps 116:1-2; Mark 16:15-18]
Last December when the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a declaration on Fiducia Supplicans (The Pastoral Meaning of Blessings), it was received with much joy by those who felt that the Church was moving closer to granting recognition of same-sex union couples, but with great dismay and deep apprehension by others that the Church was not being faithful to the doctrine of marriage as laid down in scriptures and taught consistently by the Church for centuries. Many felt that by granting even an informal blessing to same-sex couples, the Church is gradually normalizing same-sex marriage even though the Declaration reiterates that the perennial Catholic doctrine of marriage is one that is “exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to the generation of children.”
What is the intention of the Holy Father, Pope Francis in granting the right to bless same-sex couples in an informal manner? At the heart of Pope Francis’ mind is the need to extend the mercy of God to same-sex couples, divorced and remarried, and all others in irregular situations. Pope Francis is convinced that the way to bring them back to God and to the truth is to help them to experience God’s forgiveness, mercy and understanding, even when their lives are not in accordance with the gospel as taught by the Lord. Otherwise, by excluding them from God’s grace and mercy completely, we would only drive them further away from God and from the Church. Feeling unworthy or even resentful of the Church’s lack of mercy and understanding, they would not return to the Church. They would continue to live not just in sin but fall into further sin because they are deprived of the pastoral ministry and pastoral guidance in other areas of their life, beyond their irregular union.
So, by welcoming and granting them a blessing, it will go a long way for them to know that the Church cares, even though the Church does not agree with their lifestyle. Indeed, the Declaration states that the grace of God can work in the “lives of those who do not claim to be righteous but who acknowledge themselves humbly as sinners, like everyone else. This grace can orient everything according to the mysterious and unpredictable designs of God.” For this reason, “with its untiring wisdom and motherly care, the Church welcomes all who approach God with humble hearts, accompanying them with those spiritual aids that enable everyone to understand and realize God’s will fully in their existence.” (Ibid 32) Again, to make it clear that this is not a subtle endorsement of same-sex union or those in irregular marriages, it states that this blessing is only given to those who seek God’s help and it is given to help them to increase their trust in Him. “This is a blessing that, although not included in any liturgical rite, unites intercessory prayer with the invocation of God’s help by those who humbly turn to him. God never turns away anyone who approaches him! Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God. The request for a blessing thus expresses and nurtures openness to the transcendence, mercy, and closeness to God in a thousand concrete circumstances of life, which is no small thing in the world in which we live. It is a seed of the Holy Spirit that must be nurtured, not hindered.”
The theological grounding for this declaration lies in the fact that “The Church is thus the sacrament of God’s infinite love. Therefore, even when a person’s relationship with God is clouded by sin, he can always ask for a blessing, stretching out his hand to God, as Peter did in the storm when he cried out to Jesus, “Lord, save me!” (Mt. 14:30). (Ibid 43) Like Jesus, the Church “lift up those prayers and supplications that Christ himself – with loud cries and tears – offered in his earthly life (cf. Heb. 5:7). (Ibid 42) It is our fervent hope that those who receive this blessing will find an opportunity to be renewed in the Kergyma, “an invitation to draw ever closer to the love of Christ.” This Kerygma of course is about experiencing the mercy and love of Christ in His passion, death and resurrection. (Ibid 44)
It is within this context that today’s celebration of the Conversion of St Paul makes sense to us. St Paul was a persecutor of the Church. He himself confessed publicly, “I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence.” (1 Tm 1:1:13) However, as we read in his conversion story, the Lord in His mercy appeared to Him on his way to Damascus. Jesus said to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” That awakened him and he came to realize that Jesus was truly alive and lives in the Christians. But that was not all. Not only did Jesus reveal to Him who He was, He even asked Ananias to heal Paul of his blindness and rehabilitate him in the Christian community. Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit, “Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized.” (Acts 9:18) But that was not all. The Lord said to him, “Stand up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told what you have been appointed to do.” (Acts 22:10) Ananias said to him, “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Just One and hear his own voice speaking, because you are to be his witness before all mankind, testifying to what you have seen and heard.” (Acts 22:14f)
Indeed, as St Paul wrote in his public confession, “I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence.” (1 Tim 1:13) When someone has received God’s mercy without conditions, beyond his imagination, and even appointed to be His apostle, it is an overwhelming experience. This was a conversion experience that St Paul never forgot for the rest of his life. This conversion experience was the foundation for his zeal in proclaiming the gospel of mercy to all, sinners and gentiles. This experience of being loved and accepted by Christ provided him the foundation for his central doctrine of justification by faith through grace alone. Indeed, he concluded, “for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life.” (1 Tim 1:16)
However, it is also important to take note of what St Paul wrote as well, “But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the foremost.” Although St Paul was a great sinner and persecutor of the Church, he was in truth ignorant of Jesus. He thought he was doing the right thing in persecuting the Jews who became Christians, for they were betraying the faith of their forefathers, given to them through Moses. Even though St Paul arrested those who were converted and put them in prison, he did it in good faith. It was not because he was arrogant or malicious. He did it for their good, thinking that they were misled.
So too, in our journey with those who are not living according to the teaching of the Church, we must see them as ignorant. In fact, that was how the Lord saw His enemies on the cross. He said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Lk 23:34) So, too, those who advocate values contrary to the gospel and the Word of God. Such people are ignorant because they are conditioned by the world and also under the bondage of their own weakness. They are not willing to change or to let go of their ideas and their lifestyles. This is particularly true when it comes to intimate relationships. What one thinks does not necessarily translate into what one does. Relationship is a matter more of the heart than of the mind. Even if one desires to live according to the teaching of the gospel with regard to marriage and gender, it is not that easy because the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
For such people, we must continue to love them. We must continue to give them hope. We must help them to fall in love with Jesus more and more. The day when the love of Jesus is stronger in their hearts than the love for another human person, he or she will be able to do the right thing. They will be able to find strength from the love of Christ to live out His teaching. Christ’s love will heal their own wounds, insecurity, and lack of authentic self-love.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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