Saint Paul the Apostle
Saint Paul seems the most fitting patron saint for a blog for women with a mission to accompany each other, by revealing our journeys to steer each other closer to Christ. Fellow sinners and saints, share our pilgrimages to Our Lord with great zeal and love, unearthing the very depths of our beings. Airing, the beauty, along with the struggles and gunk, makes this journey together fruitful and real. That pretty much sums up St. Paul’s life, faithfully professing his tumultuous journey to conversion and immense love of Christ in order to shepherd others to know, experience and embrace the Lord deeply, on a personal level.
One of Christ’s most zealous and faithful followers was also one of Jesus’ greatest persecutors. The story of St. Paul and his conversion grabs the attention of anyone reading the passage in the Bible. In our minds, we picture the story of Saul (Acts 9:1-31)(later to become known as Paul), a ruthless murdering tax collector, riding on his horse on his way to Damascus, a city where he was planning to do business. He had permission from the chief priests to bring back anyone associated with Jesus’ teachings. I am sure he played it all out in his head, his plan of attack, how he was going to ‘catch’ them in the act. But fortunately, God had a better plan.
As Saul traveled, Our Lord send a great light and literally knocked him off his horse, blinding him. Saul could no longer see and immediately the Lord instructed Him how to receive aid. He directed Saul to go to Damascus and seek Ananias, a follower of Christ. The Lord had summoned Ananias to lay his hands on Saul and heal him of his blindness. At the Lord’s request, Ananias healed Saul, opening his eyes. Saul immediately went on to preach the Good News and spent his life in ministry serving Christ and bringing countless people to the faith.
Paul was passionate, understanding, determined, yet unrelenting, as he grasped the beauty and depths of the faith with love and conviction that only a converted sinner possesses. He was convicted of the Lord’s mercy for sinners. Paul desired that the whole world embrace Christ, as well as, the sacrifice necessary to serve Our Lord, He encouraged followers to work together using their gifts to serve our Lord and the Church, answering his individual call from the Lord. He wrote to the Corinthians, the Ephesians, and the Romans emboldening them in their call to act as the Lord created them, utilizing their various gifts, talents, and roles, yet working together as one body. In Romans 12:5 Paul exhorts, “so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another.” Paul goes on to name specific gifts and graces we receive. Ephesians 4:1-24 is a call to act and serve in a new way using the gifts God has bestowed in each of our hearts. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul writes of the variety of spiritual gifts, counseling the Corinthians to live as one body in love.
Paul understood fully the affliction Christians experienced because he had been the one delivering the punishments, persecuting the believers in Christ. The sacrifice he had made to serve the Lord and the great mercy the Lord had shown him was fresh in his heart as he traveled from town to town spreading the Good News. Paul understood the importance of prayer and living out faith fearlessly. He knew Christ’s real presence in the world and the importance of a relationship with him. Paul gave his all as one of the first missionaries, going out and guiding the blinded to sight. He served Our Lord with zeal, seeking lost sheep at all costs.
St. Paul the Apostle, pray for us, as we serve Our Lord in the this world with our gifts and talents. Run to our aid, as we labor to bring our brothers and sisters to know, love and serve Christ. Ask Him to allow us to hear His unique call to us and act with urgency. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.
