Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 01-25-14, Feast, Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle

15. And he said to them, Go you into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.
16. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believed not shall be damned.
17. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

AUG. But how was this done the last time? The last occasion on which the Apostles saw the Lord upon earth happened forty days after the resurrection; but would He then have upbraided them for not believing those who had seen Him risen, when they themselves had so often seen Him after His resurrection? It remains therefore that we should understand that Mark wished to say it in few words, and said for the last time, because it was the last time that He showed Himself that day, as night was coming on, when the disciples returned from the country into Jerusalem, and found, as Luke says, the eleven and those who were with them, speaking together concerning the resurrection of our Lord.

But there were some there who did not believe; when these then were sitting at meat, (as Mark says,) and were still speaking, (as Luke relates,) The Lord stood in the midst of them, and said to them, Peace be to you; as Luke and John say. The rebuke therefore which Mark here mentions, must have been amongst those words, which Luke and John say, that the Lord at that time spoke to the disciples. But another question is raised, how Mark says that He appeared when the eleven sat at meat, if the time was the first part of the night on the Lord's day, when John plainly says that Thomas was not with them, who, we believe, had gone out, before the Lord came in to them, after those two had returned from the village, and spoken with the eleven, as we find in Luke's Gospel.

But Luke in his relation leaves room for supposing that Thomas went out first, while they spoke these things, and that the Lord entered afterwards; Mark however from his saying, for the last time he appeared to the eleven as they sat at meat, forces us to believe that he was there, unless indeed, though one of them was absent he chose to call them the eleven, because the company of the Apostles was then called by this number, before Matthias was chosen into the place of Judas. Or if this be a harsh way of understanding it, let us understand that it means that after many appearances, He showed Himself for the last time, that is, on the fortieth clay, to the Apostles, as they sat at meat, and that since He was about to ascend from them, He rather wished on that day to reprove them for not having believed those who had seen Him risen before seeing Him themselves, because after His ascension even the Gentiles on their preaching were to believe a Gospel, which they had not seen.

And so the same Mark immediately after that rebuke says, And he said to them, Go you into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. And lower down, He that believes not shall be condemned. Since then they were to preach this, were not they themselves to be first rebuked, because before they saw the Lord they had not believed those to who He had first appeared?

GREG. Another reason also why our Lord rebuked His disciples, when He left them as to His bodily presence, was, that the words which He spoke on leaving them might remain more deeply impressed, upon the hearts of His hearers.

PSEUDO-JEROME; But He rebukes their want of faith, that faith might take its place; He rebukes the hardness of their stony heart, that the fleshy heart, full of love, might take its place.

GREG. After rebuking the hardness of their hearts, let us hear the words of advice which He speaks. For it goes on: Go you into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. Every man must be understood by every creature; for man partakes something of every creature; he has existence as have stones, life as trees, feeling as animals, understanding as have Angels. For the Gospel is preached to every creature, because he is taught by it, for whose sake all are created, whom all things are in some way like, and from whom therefore they are not alien. By the name of every creature also every nation of the Gentiles may be meant. For it had been said before, Go not into the way of the Gentiles. But now it is said, Preach the Gospel to every creature, so that the preaching of the Apostles which was thrust aside by Judea, might be an assistance to us, since Judea, had haughtily rejected it, thus witnessing to her own damnation.

THEOPHYL. Or else; to every creature, that is, whether believing or unbelieving. It goes on: He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. For it is not enough to believe, for he who believes and is not baptized, but is a catechumen, has not yet attained to perfect salvation.

GREG. But perhaps some one may say in himself, I have already believed, I shall be saved. He says what is true, if he keeps his faith by works; for that is a true faith, which does not contradict by its deeds what it says in words. There follows: But he that believes not shall be damned.

BEDE; What shall we say here about infants, who by reason of their age cannot yet believe; for as to older persons there is no question. In the Church then of our Savior children believe by others, as also they drew from others the sins which are remitted to them in baptism. It goes on: And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents.

THEOPHYL. That is, they shall scatter before them serpents, whether intellectual or sensible, as it is said, you shall tread upon serpents and scorpions, which is understood spiritually. But it may also mean sensible serpents, as when Paul received no hurt from the viper. There follows: And if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. We read of many such cases in history, for many persons have drank poison unhurt, by guarding themselves with the sign of Christ. It goes on: They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

GREG. Are we then without faith because we cannot do these signs? Nay, but these things were necessary in the beginning of the Church, for the faith of believers was to be nourished by miracles, that it might increase. Thus we also, when we plant groves, pour water upon them, until we see that they have grown strong in the earth; but when once they have firmly fixed their roots, we leave off irrigating them. These signs and miracles have other things which we ought to consider more minutely.

For Holy Church does every day in spirit what then the Apostles did in body; for when her Priests by the grace of exorcism lay their hands on believers, and forbid the evil spirits to dwell in their minds, what do they, but cast out devils? And the faithful who have left earthly words, and whose tongues sound forth the Holy Mysteries, speak a new language; they who by their good warnings take away evil from the hearts of others, take up serpents; and when they are hearing words of pestilent persuasion, without being at all drawn aside to evil doing, they drink a deadly thing, but it will never hurt them; whenever they see their neighbors growing weak in good works, and by their good example strengthen their life, they lay their hands on the sick, that they may recover. And all these miracles are greater in proportion as they are spiritual, and by them souls and not bodies are raised.

Catena Aurea Mark 16

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for:January 25, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, who taught the whole world through the preaching of the blessed Apostle Paul, draw us, we pray, nearer to you through the example of him whose conversion we celebrate today, and so make us witnesses to your truth in the world. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

o Insalata Di Tarocci

o Almond Horseshoe Cakes

o St. Martin's Horseshoes

ACTIVITIES

o Apostle Cookies

o Nameday Prayers and Ideas for St. Paul the Apostle

o St. Paul and the Epistle Charades

o St. Paul's Day, St. Paul's Cathedral, London

o St. Paul's Family Tree

o The Veneration of Saints

PRAYERS

o Litany of Saint Paul the Apostle

o Novena for Church Unity

o Novena for Purification

o Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity

o Prayer to St. Paul the Apostle

o A Prayer to St. Paul for the Printing of Good Books

o The Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

LIBRARY

o Life of Saint Paul before and after Damascus | Pope Benedict XVI

o St Paul and the Church | Pope Benedict XVI

o St. Paul and the Apostles | Pope Benedict XVI

o St. Paul Apostle to the Gentiles | Unknown

o St. Paul's New Outlook | Pope Benedict XVI

o The Keys of Forgiveness: The Loving Power of the Successor of Peter | Sandro Magister

o The Life of St. Paul | Salvatore J. Ciresi

o Ut Unum Sint (That They May Be One) | Pope John Paul II

· Ordinary Time: January 25th

· Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle

Old Calendar: Conversion of St. Paul

St. Paul, named Saul at his circumcision, a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, was born at Tarsus, the capitol of Cilicia. He was a Roman citizen. He was brought up as a strict Jew, and later became a violent persecutor of the Christians. While on his way to Damascus to make new arrests of Christians, he was suddenly converted by a miraculous apparition of Our Lord. From a fierce persecutor he became the great Apostle of the Gentiles. He made three missionary journeys which brought him to the great centers of Asia Minor and southern Europe, and made many converts. Fourteen of his Epistles are found in the New Testament. He was beheaded in Rome in 66, and his body is kept in the Basilica of St. Paul near the Ostian Way.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

St. Paul
St. Paul was born at Tarsus, Cilicia, of Jewish parents who were descended from the tribe of Benjamin. He was a Roman citizen from birth. As he was "a young man" at the stoning of Stephen and "an old man" when writing to Philemon, about the year 63, he was probably born around the beginning of the Christian era.

To complete his schooling, St. Paul was sent to Jerusalem, where he sat at the feet of the learned Gamaliel and was educated in the strict observance of the ancestral Law. Here he also acquired a good knowledge of exegesis and was trained in the practice of disputation. As a convinced and zealous Pharisee, he returned to Tarsus before the public life of Christ opened in Palestine.

Some time after the death of Our Lord, St. Paul returned to Palestine. His profound conviction made his zeal develop to a religious fanaticism against the infant Church. He took part in the stoning of the first martyr, St. Stephen, and in the fierce persecution of the Christians that followed.

Entrusted with a formal mission from the high priest, he departed for Damascus to arrest the Christians there and bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he was nearing Damascus, about noon, a light from heaven suddenly blazed round him. Jesus with His glorified body appeared to him and addressed him, turning him away from his apparently successful career.

An immediate transformation was wrought in the soul of St. Paul. He was suddenly converted to the Christian Faith. He was baptized, changed his name from Saul to Paul, and began travelling and preaching the Faith. He was martyred as an Apostle in Rome around 65 AD.

— Excerpted from Lives of the Saints

Patron: Against snakes; authors; Cursillo movement; evangelists; hailstorms; hospital public relations; journalists; lay people; missionary bishops; musicians; poisonous snakes; public relations personnel; public relations work; publishers; reporters; rope braiders; rope makers; saddlemakers; saddlers; snake bites; tent makers; writers; Malta; Rome; Poznan, Poland; newspaper editorial staff Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Diocese of Covington, Kentucky; Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama; Diocese of Las Vegas, Nevada; Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island; Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts.

Symbols: Book and sword; three fountains; two swords; scourge; serpent and a fire; armour of God; twelve scrolls with names of his Epistles; phoenix; palm tree; shield of faith; sword; book.

Often portrayed as: Thin-faced elderly man with a high forehead, receding hairline and long pointed beard; man holding a sword and a book; man with 3 springs of water nearby.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Day Eight: Together... we proclaim the gospel

Together we proclaim anew the good news prophesied in Isaiah, fulfilled in our Lord Jesus, preached by the Apostle Paul, and received by the Church. Facing honestly the differences we have and the labels of denomination we embrace, we must never lose sight of the common mandate we have in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul is sent "to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power" (1 Cor 1:17). The path to unity is to be found in the power of the cross.

The Gospel we proclaim is made tangible and relevant to us as we bear witness to the work of Jesus Christ in our own lives and the life of the Christian community.

Vatican Resources

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Acts 22:3-16

The Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle

Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? (Acts 22:7)

The Scriptures are filled with miraculous stories about people whose lives were changed when they had a personal encounter with God. Most of these people were introduced to the Lord by someone else. Andrew took his brother, Peter, to Jesus. Peter reached out to Cornelius. Samuel anointed Saul and David. Philip evangelized an Ethiopian official. And the list goes on and on.

But Paul didn’t have a middle-man. Jesus miraculously appeared to him on the road to Damascus. And what a conversion it was! Paul must be the patron saint of dramatic conversions because his is one of the most dramatic before-and-after stories in the whole Bible.

So what is conversion? First and foremost, it is a grace from God. People experience conversion because the Holy Spirit reveals God’s love, his mercy, and his holiness to their hearts. But there is a human dimension to conversion as well. Conversion happens as a person decides to turn away from sin and turn to the Lord.

Paul’s conversion came when he realized that what he thought was a good thing—persecuting believers in Christ—was really a sin. God made it clear that he had been persecuting Jesus as well as innocent Christians. And that revelation moved him to devote his whole life to spreading the good news that he had just experienced. From that moment on, the primary goal of Paul’s life was to bring as many people as possible to conversion.

If St. Paul were here today, he would not hesitate to ask us if we have given our lives to Christ. But he wouldn’t stop there. He would also urge us to run the race every day, living a life of holiness and service to the Lord (2 Timothy 4:7). He wouldn’t stop there, either. He would also tell us to get out into the world and share our faith with everyone we meet. It’s how Paul lived, and it’s how God wants us to live.

“St. Paul, pray for us. May we all become like you, disciples who witness to Jesus everywhere we go.”

Psalm 117:1-2; Mark 16:15-18

A Christian Pilgrim

HIS NAME WAS PAUL [ACTS 9:1-22] – CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL, 25 JANUARY

Of all the women and men we read about in the Bible, who more fully lived Jesus’ command in today’s reading than Paul? He went from hating Jesus to loving Him and giving his life so that everyone would come to know His wonderful love.

The story of Paul’s conversion can fill us with great hope. He was guilty of a very serious wrongdoing, i.e. persecuting the followers of Jesus. Yet Jesus showed him mercy and turned him into one of the greatest saints of all time. If He could do that for the “Terror of Tarsus”, imagine what He can do for us! Today we celebrate the conversion of a man who was arrogant, pushy, stubborn, and sometimes violent. His conversion is an encouraging sign that the mercy and grace of Jesus can change the worst of sinners.

With Paul, however, we celebrate not only the dramatic conversion at the beginning of his walk with Jesus but also the ongoing work of conversion in his life. We might imagine Paul as a man who never lost his temper, was always kind and gentle, and never made a mistake. But the New Testament gives us a rather different picture. Paul publicly confronted Peter in Antioch (Galatians 2:11-14). He got into a fight with Barnabas over John Mark that led to a division between these once-close brothers (Acts 15:36-40). He even called the Galatians – people he was called to pastor with the love of Christ – “foolish” (Galatians 3:1).

Like all of us, Paul had some character faults that took years for God to iron out. He was not always a model of perfection. Rather, he was a real human being who developed from “self-love” to “love for Jesus”. It may have taken a lifetime, but God remained faithful. And Paul kept fighting, pressing on to become more like Jesus. No matter where we are in our walk with the Lord, even if we fail miserably over and over again, God will work in us if we keep turning back to Him. We can all be transformed just as powerfully as Paul was.

Vultus Christi

Led on by God’s Providence

Saturday, 25 January 2014 17:42

In Doubt Go to Mary

Catherine de Bar, now Sister Saint John the Evangelist, novice in the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annonciade, turns to Our Lady and asks to be enlightened with regard to her true vocation. Catherine is troubled by persistent doubts. It is noteworthy that, already, whenever Catherine is troubled, or in crisis, or doubt, or fear, she turns spontaneously to the Blessed Virgin Mary as to her ordinary recourse. She speaks to the Mother of God with a brutal honesty:

Would it not have been better for me to remain in the world, if I am not going to find here the means to serve you with more purity and holiness?

In the grip of her crisis, Catherine ponders in her heart what manner of response Our Lady might make to her; with intense devotion she prays the Ave Maria. She waits for light to be given her. Shall she make profession or return to the world? As she meditates the Ave Maria, Catherine discovers spiritual benefits of the religious life that, until this point, she had not seen. The Angelic Salutation (the Ave Maria, or Hail Mary) seems to be illumined for her from within.

Staying the Course

Paradoxically, Catherine is also haunted by something her parents said when she, as a small girl, hesitated to obey: “You will never be a religious!” Is this, in fact, coming true? Is she not suited to this way of life? Should she perhaps content herself with being a laysister? In any event, her eyes are giving her some trouble again; will she be able to read the Divine Office? Is she not too vivacious for the monotony of claustral life? All of these contradictory thoughts confuse her. She opens up to her her superior. “What? A laysister? Certainly not. Monotony? My dear child, would that you might have the luxury of always doing the same thing!”

Sister Saint John the Evangelist has to make up her mind. She obtains permission to spend forty days in solitary retreat! (Today this would be considered most extraordinary for a novice. It might even be seen as a sign of eccentricity, or imbalance, or a ploy for attention.) During this time Sister Saint John prays almost constantly; she adds the hairshirt and other austerities to her supplications. Finally, on the night before she is to pronounce her vows, she has a dream that she will later relate to her director, Father John Chrysostom. She sees herself led by angels into the presence of the Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven, seated upon a throne. Humbly she pays her respects to the Mother of God, who, in turn, offers them to the Most Holy Trinity. Christ Jesus receives her as His spouse and signs the contract of this alliance in His own Blood. Sister Saint John wakes up, hurries to the monastic church, and spends the rest of the night there, her heart all ablaze with love.

Professed as an Annonciade

The next day — was it 25 March 1633? We are not certain — Catherine de Bar makes her profession as an Annonciade, amidst the customary solemn rites. A multitude of people, attracted by the beauty of the ceremony, are in attendance. The curé of the parish of Bruyères assists at the celebration. He relates that, at a certain moment, the sun shone through the stained–glass windows of the church, causing a wonderful light to surround the head of the newly–professed Annonciade, and to reflect on the wall. The Venerable Henri–Marie Boudon, later archdeacon of Évreux, spoke of it in 1654 as an extraordinary mark of the graces that God held in reserve for His handmaid.

The Broken Ring

Immediately after her profession, Catherine, now Mother Saint John the Evangelist, enters into ten days of retreat; in the Order of the Annonciade, these days of profound recollection are known as The Silence of the Bridegroom. It is a time of spousal intimacy with Christ. During Catherine’s post–profession retreat something happens that, once again, troubles her sensitive soul. Inexplicably, the ring of profession, placed on her finger as a sign of her bridal covenant with Christ, breaks apart. Not wanting to violate her sacred silence, Catherine shows the broken ring to her superior, Mother Angélique, indicates by signs that she is not responsible for its being broken. Newly professed, Catherine’s peace is already perturbed; she imagines that the broken ring signifies that God has rejected her. Wisely, Catherine’s superior suggests that the broken ring may well signify that this profession is not Catherine’s final one. Could it not perhaps mean that she will pass into another Order? When Mother Angélique hands the ring back to Catherine, it is once again intact. It is the same ring, broken for a time, and now effortlessly put back together.

Ups and Downs

Any reader who has taken the time to follow Catherine’s journey thus far will have noticed the richness and complexity of her personality, as well as her weaknesses. Catherine de Bar is given, in some way, to extreme emotions. She wants certain things intensely and, once she has them, experiences dissatisfaction and ennui. Only months before her profession she wonders if she is not to return to the world. She passes from consolations to desolation and back again. She goes back and forth between wanting the life of an Annonciade in Bruyère and craving the solitude of a recluse. She can be winning and cheerful and, just as easily, disconcerting and troubled. She believes in dreams and premonitions. She sees very few things as mere happenstance.

The Gift of Authority

It would seem that Catherine de Bar is her best self when she is in charge of things. Responsibility does not crush her; it seems to stimulate her creativity. Responsibility brings out her best qualities as it did when, for example, while still a novice, she assumed the care of the community struck down by the plague, and assured the regularity of the Hours. This trait of personality is often found in those whom God has destined to undertake a new work in the Church. One can hardly imagine Saint Teresa of Avila, or Mother Yvonne–Aimée, or someone like Abbot Marmion in a subsidiary position with naught to do but execute orders from above. This is not to say that such holy people are not obedient; it is, rather, to affirm that they flourish most when invested with authority and able to organise their own energies, time, and initiatives while, at the same time, stimulating others and calling forth their gifts.

This does not mean that Catherine de Bar is not humble. Her humility is profound and real; with the passing years it will become an uninterrupted indentification with the humble Jesus, silent and hidden in the Sacred Host. She will protest, even into the last years of her life that she wants to be freed from the burden of authority. At the same time, being in authority gives her the space, and time, and freedom to bow beneath the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost and to be extraordinarily fruitful for souls.

In the Care of Lady Abbess Mary

The one constant that emerges from Catherine’s life thus far is her confidence in the maternal care of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In every crisis she goes to Mary. Mary is Catherine’s counselor, her comforter, her teacher and, already, her Lady Abbess, the mother, gentle and wise, to whom she can, and does, tell everything.

Regnum Christi

Caught by the Mission

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, apostle

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."

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I renew my faith in the power of your word. I come to you today to listen to you and allow you to lead me. I renew my trust in your mercy: You are constantly looking upon me and the world with love. I want to love you in return and lead others to love you.

Petition: Fill me with the power of your good news, Lord.

1. The World Needs Messengers of Hope: Jesus Christ is the message that everyone vitally needs. He is God’s message to man, the message that tells people that God loves them deeply and offers them a way to true life and salvation. Our world often looks for love in the wrong places; it needs to find the answer to its deepest desires in Christ. But who will spread this message? Those like St. Paul who take Christ’s love seriously and see that they, too, can become messengers of hope. Am I meant to be a messenger of hope?

2. God Acts Powerfully in Those Who Trust Him: St. Paul is an example of what God can do through someone who trusts in him. St. Paul valued the grace Christ gave him. He put his life totally in the hands of Christ and was not afraid to proclaim him to everyone he met. Even though Paul faced many difficulties, his work produced enormous fruit and helped extend the number of Christian communities. Do I believe that Christ can work through me as I participate in the New Evangelization? In what ways can I trust him more?

3. Our Opportunity Is Now: St. Paul and the first apostles did not wait until all the circumstances were right before beginning evangelization. Once Christ had touched their lives and once he had given them the command to begin, they began right away. The Church has asked us to begin again today. Like St. Paul, we must feel that the fire of Christ’s love impels us (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:14). We cannot wait until the circumstances are favorable; we must do whatever we can now. We have already experienced Christ’s love. Why are we waiting to share it? What holds me back from a greater surrender to the work of evangelization?

Conversation with Christ: Lord, like Saint Paul I have been touched by your love, and I have heard your command to go out and spread the good news. I renew my trust in your companionship, and I resolve to do all I can to bring your Gospel to others. Help me to keep my eyes on you.

Resolution: Today I will share a thought from the Gospel or from the Holy Father’s teaching with at least two people whom I encounter.

One Bread One Body

One Bread, One Body

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<< Saturday, January 25, 2014 >>

Conversion of St. Paul

Acts 22:3-16 or
Acts 9:1-22
View Readings

Psalm 117:1-2

Mark 16:15-18
Similar Reflections

MAKE MY DAY

"Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to all creation. The man who believes in it and accepts baptism will be saved; the man who refuses to believe it will be condemned." —Mark 16:15-16

Today the Church celebrates the feast of the conversion of St. Paul. Are you thrilled or at least happy to celebrate Paul's conversion or anyone's conversion? How much do you want all "to be saved and come to know the truth"? (1 Tm 2:4) Are you willing to become "the slave of all so as to win over as many as possible"? (1 Cor 9:19) Will you make yourself "all things to all men in order to save at least some of them"? (1 Cor 9:22)

Most people are more interested in who wins the Super Bowl than in who is converting to Christ. Most people desire to watch the news on TV more than hear the good news of the Bible. How many Catholics prefer to eat breakfast rather than to receive Holy Communion?

If you suffer tragedy after tragedy like Job did, do you still consider the sufferings of the present as nothing (see Rm 8:18) compared to the joy of seeing one sinner repent? (see Lk 15:7, 10) Or does one little problem outweigh in importance all the conversions in the world, even your own conversion? Paul's conversion, or anyone's conversion, is so important that we should rejoice in it forever — even in the midst of all kinds of sufferings.

What makes your day? Is it conversion or perversion?

Prayer: Father, convert me. Use me to convert many others.

Promise: "Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized." —Acts 9:18

Praise: St. Paul sent many Christians to prison and death (Acts 26:10). Jesus changed him from persecutor to evangelist. Praise You, Jesus! "He who was formerly persecuting us is now preaching the faith he tried to destroy" (Gal 1:23).

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Meditation: Acts 22:3-16

Marriage=One Man and One Woman 'Til Death Do Us Part

One Bread, One Body

MAKE MY DAY