The WORD

The commissioning of the Eleven (apostles) at the end of Mark’s Gospel underlines an important aspect of the conversion of the Apostle Paul: The mission to preach the Good News, not just to the Jews, but to the Gentiles as well – to the "whole world." While Luke’s three accounts in the Acts of the Apostles speak of the young Saul’s "conversion" to the Way (Christian faith) he persecuted, they also emphasize his being chosen to announce the Gospel to the nations. The Lord thus informs Ananias whom He sends to the blinded Saul: "Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel" (First Reading).

Paul himself would refer to his conversion as a prophetic call. His conversion is actually his vision of the risen Christ. And this vision is a call to a mission – like the call of the prophets of old. In particular, the call of Jeremiah comes to mind: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you" (Jer 1:5). Paul harps back to this when he describes his own conversion/call: "God, who from my mother’s womb had set me apart and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son to me, so that I might proclaim Him to the Gentiles" (Gal 1:15-16).

Paul was not converted in the sense of turning away from his God to another. His God remains to be the God of Israel, the God of his fathers. But God has revealed Himself through His Son – Jesus Christ – who restores all things to the Father through His passion, death, and resurrection. The mystery is now revealed to Paul who must bring it to all peoples.

SOURCE: "365 Days with the Lord," ST PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: publishing@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.