The Twelfth

Today is the feast of the conversion of St. Paul. Raise your hand if you have ever had an experience with God that knocked you down and when you got back up you were never quite the same again. Raise your hand if you have ever had a come to Jesus moment that changed you. Raise your hand if you have ever seen the light and where you were once blind, you now can see. I’ve realized that conversion is an ongoing process and a journey that continues to unfold before us. It can begin with a one-time powerful experience for sure, but mostly the softening of our hearts and the transforming of our minds and the bending of our wills is a lifetime adventure. We all have scales on our eyes that need to be removed. We all have sin from our past that needs to be forgiven. We all have thorns in our side that need to be embraced as a grace to draw closer to God. We all have a purpose to live out that will release the presence of God into our world. Paul’s conversion is really a telling of our conversions. Life before Jesus was ugly and dark and life with Jesus is beautiful and light. 

The gospel reminds us that we are an Apostolic people and our mission is to “go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” How beautiful to be called to proclaim love to EVERY creature, not just humans, not just our friends, not just the people we like, not just the people that agree with us, not just the people who voted for the same person we did, but EVERY creature. The gospel opens with, “Jesus appeared to the Eleven.” This hit me today. We are the Twelfth. I know eventually they added Matthias as the official Twelfth, however, today let’s commission ourselves as the Twelfth so that we can live what the gospel promises. We have all authority to drive out demons and heal the sick and not to mention love love love love love in the Name of Jesus! I’m not sure about that whole picking up serpents with your hands or drinking poison business, but I’m quite sure it means that we have nothing to fear when we are bearers of Christ’s presence in the world. If you’re feeling extraordinary, I dare you to test the picking up a serpent thing!!!! 

I invite us to ponder our own conversion today. What was life like before we knew Jesus intimately? What has life been like since? Was their one particular event, experience, retreat, trial, etc. that shined His light on your life? How is our conversion still unfolding? Perhaps we can name the thorn in our side and consider how it has been a source of dependence of God. Lastly, let’s take up the commission of the Twelfth and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. I’ll start with the snoring dog that snuggles next to me for prayer every morning!! It is well with my soul. 

Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle
Lectionary: 519

Reading 1 ACTS 22:3-16

Paul addressed the people in these words:
"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia,
but brought up in this city.
At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law
and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.
I persecuted this Way to death,
binding both men and women and delivering them to prison.
Even the high priest and the whole council of elders
can testify on my behalf.
For from them I even received letters to the brothers
and set out for Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem
in chains for punishment those there as well.

"On that journey as I drew near to Damascus,
about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me.
I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,
'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'
I replied, 'Who are you, sir?'
And he said to me,
'I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.'
My companions saw the light
but did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to me.
I asked, 'What shall I do, sir?'
The Lord answered me, 'Get up and go into Damascus,
and there you will be told about everything
appointed for you to do.' 
Since I could see nothing because of the brightness of that light,
I was led by hand by my companions and entered Damascus.

"A certain Ananias, a devout observer of the law,
and highly spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,
came to me and stood there and said,
'Saul, my brother, regain your sight.'
And at that very moment I regained my sight and saw him.
Then he said,
'The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will,
to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice;
for you will be his witness before all
to what you have seen and heard.
Now, why delay?
Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away,
calling upon his name.'

Responsorial Psalm PS 117:1BC, 2

R. (Mark 16:15)  Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.
or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
R.  Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.
or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.
or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Alleluia SEE JN 15:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 16:15-18

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:
"Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."