FEAST OF THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL
“Lord, what wilt Thou have me do?” (Acts 9, 6).
First Prelude: Represent to yourself Saul on the way to Damascus, flooded with heavenly light, falling to the ground and exclaiming: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me do?”
Second Prelude: O Divine Saviour, impart to me the grace to accomplish Thy Will with the readiness of St. Paul and to follow Thee with fervor on the path of perfection.
FIRST POINT
THE READINESS WITH WHICH ST. PAUL FOLLOWED THE INSPIRATIONS OF GRACE
We read in the Acts of the Apostles how Saul, completely blinded by prejudices against the religion of Christ, and burning with a false zeal, not only persecuted the Christians in Jerusalem, but, commissioned by the high-priest and the sanhedrim, started out for Damascus there in like manner to drag the Christians out of their houses, and having loaded them with chains to bring them bound to Jerusalem, that they might serve as public examples to the terror of others. But Jesus, seeing his good though perverted will, awaited him on the road, to show him the right way, and in infinite patience and mercy, to change him in the very heat of his fury into a vessel of election, to carry His name to the Gentiles. With divine power Christ, therefore, cast Saul to the ground, but spoke to him with tenderest mercy and mildness. The exterior light that blinded him is only a figure of the light that enlightened him interiorly, and to which Saul at once willingly opened heart and mind and devoted himself wholly to God. He was conscious that a supernatural power had cast him to the ground, that the Lord was nigh, and, struck with amazement, he cried out: “Who art Thou, Lord?”
Hardly had he heard the words: “I am Jesus of Nazareth, Whom thou persecutest” (Acts 9, 6), when his resistance was broken, his heart was conquered and faith in the Divinity of Christ penetrated him with invincible conviction. His eyes were closed to the light of the sun that his spiritual eye might see the more clearly and receive more perfectly the rays of the divine Sun of grace, Christ, Jesus. In this light he recognized Jesus to be really the Messiah promised to the nations, in Whom all prophecies were fulfilled. In humble faith he now cried out: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me do?” “Lord,” he seemed to say, “Thou it is whom I have blasphemed and persecuted? And yet Thou wilt pardon me? This, therefore, is Thy revenge of Thy bloody persecutor? What wilt Thou have me do and suffer? Henceforth I will only what Thou wilt.” O brief, and yet significant, living and effective word! In a single moment it made out of a sinner a great saint, through absolute surrender to the Divine Will, which act constitutes the highest and greatest sacrifice man can offer to God. May this word ever be in our hearts and on our lips. In all our actions and omissions, in moments of doubt and combat, we will often say: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me do?” If the Will of God is the guiding star of our life, we shall not lose our way, but shall reach our eternal destination by the shortest and securest path.
SECOND POINT
ST. PAUL, IN HIS CONVERSION, OUR MODEL IN STRIVING AFTER PERFECTION
The Acts of the Apostles state, when at the command of the Lord Saul arose from the ground, he found that he was blind and was led by his companions into Damascus, to await the Lord’s bidding. In Damascus he prepared himself, however, by fasting and incessant prayer, to learn and execute the Will of God. If we wish to advance on the way of perfection, we, too, should be blind, as it were, for the things of this world, its honors, its pleasures, and employ them only inasmuch as is absolutely necessary for the faithful discharge of our duties. Furthermore, like Saul, we must submit to the guidance of our superiors, by rendering them perfect obedience, as well as to our spiritual director, whom we should obey with implicit trust in all that pertains to our salvation.
At Damascus, Saul awaited further manifestations of the Divine Will. We must, likewise, patiently bide the time of the Lord, even though He should delay in removing from us interior sufferings or trials, since we may be fully confident that in due time God will come to our aid. In particular, we must not neglect to restrain our inordinate inclinations, to curb our senses and by interior recollection to be constantly united with God. Then for us, too, the time shall come when, like St. Paul, we shall be found worthy to labor successfully for the salvation of souls. Hardly had the regenerating waters of baptism touched his head, when his heart was inflamed with that ardor and zeal for souls, which induced him to “Become all in all, to bring all to Christ” (Cor. 9, 22); when he was aglow with the love that urged him to labor with all his strength to the last moment of his life, to spread the knowledge and love of Jesus.
O great Apostle of the Gentiles, obtain for me grace to grow daily in the knowledge and love of Jesus, that my zeal for souls may increase and my labors may merit the divine blessing.
Affections: O Divine Heart of Jesus, Thou hast so magnanimously revealed Thy wonderful mildness and goodness in the conversion of Thy illustrious Apostle—I bless and praise Thee for it. With the whole Catholic Church I thank Thee today for having bestowed upon him, in such profusion, the rich treasures of Thy mercy, and having made of him an elect instrument of Thy grace. Oh, impart also to my heart a spark of the fire of love that consumed St. Paul, and constrained him to become all to all, to gain all to Thee. Let me esteem all sufferings and sacrifices, yea, even death itself, as naught, when there is question of saving souls and thus of glorifying Thee.
Resolution: We will follow every inspiration of grace with utmost fidelity and immolation of self.
Spiritual Bouquet: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me do?”
Prayer: Take, O Lord . . .
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