My reflections for Jan. 25, 2006 - Wednesday

January 25, 2006

Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle

Reading I
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.’”

(Paul's conversion to Christianity will always be one of the greatest dramas of conversion. The commitment of the man to his beliefs is phenomenal. The sufferings he endured for the sake of the Gospel are awe-inspiring. His love for Jesus is certain and his commitment to sharing the Gospel and inviting others to enter into the gift of salvation is probably peerless. Yet, he would be the first to tell us that he is but a man. If God can use him in such an extraordinary way, then he is also capable of using us if we allow him.)



Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 117:1bc, 2

R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.
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.


Gospel
Mark 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.”

(Baptism is the Sacrament of entry into the Church. Like all organizations the Church recognizes the need to mark entry with a certain celebration, in this instance, of the faith of the person. There is grace attached to the Sacrament as is indicated by the words of Jesus to His disciples. Let us pray that we will be faithful to the gifts that we were given at Baptism and that we will use them not for our own gain, but for the furthering of the work of the Kingdom of God.)

my reflections
think: If God could use a man like Paul in such an extraordinary way, then he is also capable of using us if we allow Him.

I've seen the Light in a mysterious way and it is becoming brighter and brighter as I become closer and closer to God everyday. God spoke to me in a dream and he wants me to be a messenger of His words to people who doesn't understand it because they don't have the light in their heart. Somehow, my mission is to reflect the light that I received from God to the people who are living in darkness. I answered God's calling and unconditionally accepted it. I asked God for forgiveness of my sins and I promise stay pure as much as possible because I know sinning is what makes me separate from God. The more I am closer to God, the more I could fulfill His will.

Thank you Lord for: shining the Light on me. Thank you Lord for choosing me to be one of your servants to reflect your light to people who needs help to brighten their life. Passing on your light to them will keep them burning and able also to pass on the light to other people. Thank you Lord for the Light for we know that the more people who has your Light, the world will be brighter and full of happiness for your glory.


God's special verse/thought for me today
God really has a great plan for me like Paul. I was a sinner and now He struck me with a Light to wake me up and to answer His call to do my mission.