Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 01-25-05, Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle

January 25, 2005
Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle

Psalm: Tuesday 7

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.""

or

Acts 9:1-22

Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,
went to the high priest and asked him
for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that,
if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way,
he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains.
On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus,
a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,
"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
He said, "Who are you, sir?"
The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do."
The men who were traveling with him stood speechless,
for they heard the voice but could see no one.
Saul got up from the ground,
but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing;
so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus.
For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.

There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias,
and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias."
He answered, "Here I am, Lord."
The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight
and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul.
He is there praying,
and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias
come in and lay his hands on him,
that he may regain his sight."
But Ananias replied,
"Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man,
what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem.
And here he has authority from the chief priests
to imprison all who call upon your name."
But the Lord said to him,
"Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine
to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel,
and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name."
So Ananias went and entered the house;
laying his hands on him, he said,
"Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me,
Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came,
that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes
and he regained his sight.
He got up and was baptized,
and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.

He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus,
and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues,
that he is the Son of God.
All who heard him were astounded and said,
"Is not this the man who in Jerusalem
ravaged those who call upon this name,
and came here expressly to take them back in chains
to the chief priests?"
But Saul grew all the stronger
and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus,
proving that this is the Christ.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 117:1bc, 2

R (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
or:
R Alleluia, alleluia.
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
R Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.
or:
R Alleluia, alleluia.
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.
or:
R Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mk 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."

From: Acts 22:3-16

Paul Defends Himself Before the Crowd

(He [Paul] spoke to them [the people] in the Hebrew language, saying:)
[3] "I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at
the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the strict manner of the law of
our fathers, being zealous for God as you all are this day. [4] I persecuted
this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women,
[5] as the high priest and the whole council of elders bear me witness. From
them I received letters to the brethren, and I journeyed to Damascus to take
those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.

[6] "As I made my journey and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great
light from heaven suddenly shone about me. [7] And I fell to the ground and
heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' [8] And I
answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' And he said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth
whom you are persecuting.' [9] Now those who were with me saw the light but
did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. [10] And I said,
'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Rise, and go into
Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.'
[11] And when I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was
led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.

[12] "And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by
all the Jews who lived there, [13] came to me, and standing by me said to
me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And in that very hour I received my
sight and saw him. [14] And he said, 'The God of our fathers appointed you
to know his will, to see the Just One and to hear a voice from his mouth;
[15] for you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and
heard.[16] And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your
sins, calling on his name.'"

Commentary:

1-21. St Luke gives us Paul's address to the Jews of Jerusalem, the first of
three speeches in his own defense (cf. 24:10-21; 26:1-23) in which he tries
to show that there is no reason why Christianity should be opposed by Jew or
by Roman. Here he presents himself as a pious Jew, full of respect for his
people and their sacred traditions. He earnestly desires his brethren to
realize that there are compelling reasons for his commitment to Jesus. He is
convinced that they can experience in their souls the same kind of spiritual
change as he did. However, this speech is not a closely-argued apologia. His
main intention is not so much to answer the accusations levelled against him
as to use this opportunity to bear witness to Jesus Christ, whose
commandments validate Paul's actions. What he is really trying to do is to
get his hearers to obey the voice of the Lord.

1. "Brethren and fathers": the "fathers" may refer to members of the
Sanhedrin present in the crowd.

3. Gamaliel (cf. 5:34) belonged to the school of the rabbi Hillel, which was
noted for a less rigorous interpretation of the Law than that of Shammai and
his disciples.

4. The situation described by Paul is confirmed by 1 Cor 15:9: "I am the
least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted
the church of God"; Gal 1:13: "You have heard of my former life in Judaism,
how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it"; Phil
3:6: "as to the law a Pharisee, as to zeal a persecutor of the church"; and
1 Tim 1:13: "I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and insulted him [Christ]".

6-11. Paul describes in his own words what happened on the way to Damascus
(cf. 9:3-9; 26:6-16). This account differs in some ways from--but does not
contradict--the two other versions of the episode, especially that of
chapter 9, which is told in St Luke's words.

Paul adds that the whole thing happened at midday (cf. 26:13), and he says
that Jesus referred to himself as "Jesus of Nazareth". He also include the
question "What shall I do, Lord?", which is not given in chapter 9.

As far as Paul's companions were concerned, we know that they saw the light
(Acts 22:9) but did not see anyone (Acts 9:7): they did not see the
glorified Jesus; they heard a voice (Acts 9:7) but did not hear the voice of
the one who was speaking to Paul (Acts 22:9), that is, did not understand
what the voice said.

10. Paul addresses Jesus as "Lord", which shows that this vision has
revealed to him the divinity of him whom he was persecuting.
The divine voice orders him to get up from the ground and the future Apostle
of the Gentiles obeys immediately. The physical movement of getting up is a
kind of symbol of the spiritual uplift his soul is given by God's call.
"This was the first grace, that was given to the first Adam; but more
powerful than it is the grace in the second Adam. The effect of the first
grace was that a man might have justice, if he willed; the second grace,
therefore, is more powerful, because it affects the will itself; it makes
for a strong will, a burning charity, so that by a contrary will the spirit
overcomes the conflicting will of the flesh" (St Augustine, "De Correptione
Et Gratia", XI, 31).

"Many have come to Christianity", Origen says, "as if against their will,
for a certain spirit, appearing to them, in sleep or when they are awake,
suddenly silences their mind, and they change from hating the Word to dying
for him" ("Against Celsus", I, 46).

Paul's conversion is an outstanding example of what divine grace and divine
assistance in general can effect in a person's heart.

12-16. This account of Ananias and his role in Paul's conversion is much
shorter than that given in chapter 9 (cf. vv. 10-19). St Paul adapts it here
to suit his audience (who are all Jews). He presents Jesus as the one in
whom the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled. Like Peter (cf. 3:1 3ff)
and Stephen (cf. 7:52) he speaks of the "God of our fathers" and the "Just
One" when referring to God and to Jesus respectively.

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: Mark 16:15-18

The Apostle's Mission

[15] And He (Jesus) said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the
Gospel to the whole creation. [16] He who believes and is baptized
will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. [17] And
these signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will cast
out demons; they will speak in new tongues; [18] they will pick up
serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them;
they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Commentary:

15. This verse contains what is called the "universal apostolic
mandate" (paralleled by Matthew 28:19-20 and Luke 24:46-48). This is
an imperative command from Christ to His Apostles to preach the Gospel
to the whole world. This same apostolic mission applies, especially,
to the Apostles' successors, the bishops in communion with Peter's
successor, the Pope.

But this mission extends further: the whole "Church was founded to
spread the Kingdom of Christ over all the Earth for the glory of God
the Father, to make all men partakers in redemption and salvation....
Every activity of the Mystical Body with this in view goes by the name
of `apostolate'; the Church exercises it through all its members,
though in various ways. In fact, the Christian vocation is, of its
nature, a vocation to the apostolate as well. In the organism of a
living body no member plays a purely passive part, sharing in the life
of the body it shares at the same time in its activity. The same is
true for the body of Christ, the Church: `the whole body achieves full
growth in dependence on the full functioning of each part' (Ephesians
4:16). Between the members of this body there exists, further, such a
unity and solidarity (cf. Ephesians 4:16) that a member who does not
work at the growth of the body to the extent of his possibilities must
be considered useless both to the Church and to himself.

"In the Church there is diversity of ministry but unity of mission. To
the Apostles and their successors Christ has entrusted the office of
teaching, sanctifying and governing in His name and by His power. But
the laity are made to share in the priestly, prophetical and kingly
office of Christ; they have therefore, in the Church and in the world,
their own assignment in the mission of the whole people of God"
(Vatican II, "Apostolicam Actuositatem", 2).

It is true that God acts directly on each person's soul through grace,
but it must also be said that it is Christ's will (expressed here and
elsewhere) that men should be an instrument or vehicle of salvation for
others.

Vatican II also teaches this: "On all Christians, accordingly, rests
the noble obligation of working to bring all men throughout the whole
world to hear and accept the divine message of salvation" ("ibid".,
3).

16. This verse teaches that, as a consequence of the proclamation of
the Good News, faith and Baptism are indispensable pre-requisites for
attaining salvation. Conversion to the faith of Jesus Christ should
lead directly to Baptism, which confers on us "the first sanctifying
grace, by which original sin is forgiven, and which also forgives any
actual sins there may be; it remits all punishment due for these sins;
it impresses on the soul the mark of the Christian; it makes us
children of God, members of the Church and heirs to Heaven, and enables
us to receive the other sacraments" ("St. Pius X Catechism", 553).

Baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation, as we can see from these
words of the Lord. But physical impossibility of receiving the rite of
Baptism can be replaced by either martyrdom (called, therefore "baptism
of blood") or by a perfect act of love of God and of contrition,
together with an at least implicit desire to be baptized: this is
called "baptism of desire" (cf. "ibid"., 567-568).

Regarding infant Baptism, St. Augustine taught that "the custom of our
Mother the Church of infant Baptism is in no way to be rejected or
considered unnecessary; on the contrary, it is to be believed on the
ground that it is a tradition from the Apostles" ("De Gen. ad litt".,
10, 23, 39). The new "Code of Canon Law" also stresses the need to
baptize infants: "Parents are obliged to see that their infants are
baptized within the first few weeks. As soon as possible after the
birth, indeed even before it, they are to approach the parish priest to
ask for the sacrament for their child, and to be themselves duly
prepare for it" (Canon 867).

Another consequence of the proclamation of the Gospel, closely linked
with the previous one, is that "the Church is necessary", as Vatican II
declares: "Christ is the one mediator and way of salvation; He is
present to us in His body which is the Church. He Himself explicitly
asserted the necessity of faith and baptism (cf. Mark 16:16; John 3:5),
and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which
men enter through baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be
saved who, knowing that the Church was founded as necessary by God
through Christ, would refuse to enter it, or to remain in it" ("Lumen
Gentium", 14; cf. "Presbyterorum Ordinis", 4; "Ad Gentes", 1-3;
"Dignitatis Humanae", 11).

17-18. In the early days of the Church, public miracles of this kind
happened frequently. There are numerous historical records of these
events in the New Testament (cf., e.g., Acts 3:1-11; 28:3-6) and in
other ancient Christian writings. It was very fitting that this should
be so, for it gave visible proof or the truth of Christianity.
Miracles of this type still occur, but much more seldom; they are very
exceptional. This, too, is fitting because, on the one hand, the truth
of Christianity has been attested to enough; and, on the other, it
leaves room for us to merit through faith. St. Jerome comments:
"Miracles were necessary at the beginning to confirm people in the
faith. But, once the faith of the Church is confirmed, miracles are
not necessary" ("Comm. in Marcum, in loc."). However, God still works
miracles through saints in every generation, including our own.

A Voice in the Desert

Tuesday January 25, 2005 Conversion of Saint Paul

Reading (Acts 22:3-16) Gospel (St. Mark 16:15-18)

In the first reading today, we hear the very famous account of the conversion of Saint Paul, how as he was going along the road to Damascus he suddenly saw this light and heard the voice of the Lord speaking to him. What can happen so easily when we hear this is that people get frustrated and they say, “Well, why doesn’t that happen to me? Why did that happen to Saint Paul but when my kids need to be converted why isn’t God doing something like that? When I need something, why doesn’t God make it so clear like He did to Saint Paul?”

First of all, there is a principle that you can keep in mind: The clearer God makes something, the more you are going to have to suffer. The reason for that is because you would have quit if He did not make it so obvious a long time ago. So count your blessings in that sense if He has not made it more clear to you, because most of us probably would not be able to handle too much more than what we already have to deal with anyway. And we probably do not even handle what we are dealing with very well most of the time, let alone thinking that we would have to handle an incredibly greater amount.

Beyond that, we also see that what was happening with Saint Paul is that God had chosen him as the one to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. Because of this, something extraordinary needed to happen specifically so Saint Paul would know what God’s Will for him was and he would carry it out without turning back. Even if he had thought for an instant about becoming a Christian, he certainly would not have thought about going to the Gentiles. Paul, as he himself tells us, was educated at the feet of Gamaliel, who, as I told you before, is regarded internationally as the greatest rabbi to have ever lived. Saint Paul was Gamaliel’s greatest student. So this is a man who knew the old law upside down and inside out, and he tells us that he was zealous for that law beyond any of his contemporaries. This was not somebody who was interested in going to the Gentiles, because the Gentiles were considered to be completely unclean. What God was asking of Saint Paul was to do in many ways exactly the opposite of what he thought was the right thing to do; and so, because of the nature of the call, it had to be more obvious.

The reason this happened to Saint Paul, as opposed to happening to someone else, is precisely because of who he was, because of the education he had, because of his zeal for the Lord, and because he would be the one who had the background to be able to do what he was being called to do, even though initially on the surface it would have seemed to him to be perhaps repulsive to think of going to the Gentiles and preaching the Gospel. He was trying to destroy the Gospel and he certainly did not want the Gentiles to be saved; that was not his mission, so he thought. And so God made it that obvious.

Now we could look at it and say, “If we were as zealous for the truth as Saint Paul was, maybe something like that would happen.” But if we were as zealous for the truth as Saint Paul was, it would not make any difference to us if something like that happened because all we would want is to serve God and it would not matter to us if something extraordinary took place or not. All that really matters is that we have our focus on Christ. Saint Paul had this extraordinary vision – but you have the Eucharist – and every single day you can come before the Lord. Saint Paul heard a voice and he saw a light; that was all. You get to receive Jesus Christ, which is infinitely greater than the event that happened to Saint Paul on the road to Damascus – infinitely greater. What happened to him was something that was external; what happens to each of us is something that is internal. It brought about Saint Paul’s conversion, but then he had to go beyond that. He had to learn the truth and he had to live it, not because he saw a vision, not because something extraordinary happened, but once he understood what the truth was, the vision did not matter anymore, all that mattered was Jesus Christ.

We already have Him. We do not need an extraordinary vision because the most extraordinary thing in the universe happens right on the altar every single day. But what has happened is it is so extraordinary that for us it has become ordinary and we tend to pay no attention. If what you are looking for is a miracle, if what you are looking for is a sign, if what you are looking for is for the Lord to somehow do something to let you know how much He loves you, then receive Holy Communion. Look at Him in the Blessed Sacrament, open your heart to Him, and you will see extraordinary things happen – not visions and voices – but a change in your own life. And when you see the change that happens in your own life, the deeper conversion and the deeper love for God, that is the greatest miracle of all. To think that God can take someone with a heart as hard as ours and open them up and turn them around, that is a miracle that is equal to what happened to Saint Paul on the road to Damascus.

So we do not need anything extraordinary because we have the most extraordinary thing right here. All we have to do is open our hearts, and there, in the silence of our hearts, allow the Lord to speak. As long as we are willing to listen, as long as we are willing to be obedient, we will see truly miraculous and extraordinary things happen within our own hearts.

* This text was transcribed from the audio recording with minimal editing.

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	Faithfulness or Success, Which Will you Choose?
Date:	Tuesday, January 25, 2005

One evening a man took a small candle from a box and began to climb a long winding stairway. "Where are we going?," asked the candle. "We're going up higher than a house to show the ships the way to the harbor." "But no ship in the harbor could ever see my light," the candle said. "It is so very small." "If your candle is small," the man said," just keep on burning brightly and leave the rest to me." The little candle said meekly, "I will." When they reached the top of the long stairs, they came to a large lamp. The man took the little candle and used its tiny flame to light the lamp. Soon the large polished mirrors behind the lamp sent beams of light out across the miles of sea to guide the ships safely home. The candle smiled for he realized his faithfulness was rewarded with success.

+ + +

In today's readings, we are reminded once again of the great omnipotence of our Father in Heaven. No task is impossible for the Lord, because He calls not the qualified, but He qualifies the called. In our first reading we hear the testimony of a hard-hearted persecutor of God's faithful sons and daughters who is dramatically called into spiritual service. Jesus transforms his heart and sends him forth.

In the Gospel, we are reminded that Christ chooses an unfaithful and somewhat unstable fisherman to lead His Church. He selects first disciples with no leadership qualities, those that doubt, one that has questionable financial abilities, and others that bicker over petty things or could potentially cause trouble. Yet, this motley group, this band of brothers, was transformed by the power of God to do great things. Of all the first disciples, the only one who showed real potential for worldly success ended up betraying Jesus to His death. Blessed Mother Teresa spoke it best when she said that "God does not call us to be successful, He calls us to be faithful."

The great commission “Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to all creation” is for each of us and we do our Lord a great injustice when we think ourselves unworthy for this personal call. The faithful Eleven have changed the world forever and so can we. The success of our work is in His hands.

The Word Among Us

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Meditation
Acts 22:3-16

When the people of first-century Jerusalem looked at Saul of Tarsus, they saw a man filled with unbridled spiritual ambition. Many of his fellow Pharisees must have looked at Saul with some suspicion. Was he just trying to climb the ladder and enhance his image? Was he too filled with anger and hatred to be an effective religious leader? Whatever their concerns, these other Pharisees also saw in Saul a valuable ally and tool in their goal of squashing the new and dangerous religious sect we now call Christianity. This is the man whom we honor today as a spiritual giant. So it stands to reason that if God can touch and use Saul of Tarsus, then there is hope for us!

What do you see when you look in the mirror? What do other people see? More importantly, what does Jesus see? When the world looked at Simon Peter, they saw a hotheaded fisherman, but Jesus saw the “rock” for his church. When the world looked at Saul, they saw an ambitious, aggressive, perhaps even violent man; but Jesus saw an apostle, a missionary, and a mystic.

Do you want to know your full potential? Then don’t listen to the limitations others impose on you. Stop looking at the mirror and start looking to Jesus, in whom you can do all things. Don’t let the devil discourage you with images of how far you have yet to go. Don’t let the world intimidate you when you try to rise above the status quo. And don’t let your fallen nature win the war within you.

The people who were with Paul on the day of his conversion saw the light of Jesus but didn’t hear his voice. Jesus’ call is universal, but the response he demands is personal. Perhaps the question we should ask is not, “What is God calling me to do?” but “Who is he calling me to be?” Paul put forth an intense effort in his Christian life, it is true. But above and beyond all of Paul’s effort was the grace and mercy of God. Who is God calling you to be? As generous a receiver of that grace as St. Paul himself was!

“Lord Jesus, I give you my heart, my mind, my soul, and my strength. Fill me with zeal and perseverance. St. Paul, pray for me as well. Like you, I want to be like Jesus.”

One Bread, One Body

<< Tuesday, January 25, 2005 >>

Conversion of St. Paul

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

Psalm 117

Mark 16:15-18

View Readings

THE CONVERTIBLE ON STRAIGHT STREET

“Saul saw in a vision a man named Ananias coming to him and placing his hands on him so that he might recover his sight.” —Acts 9:12

The Lord still converts Sauls into Pauls whenever He can find Ananiases who will obey Him. He turns persecutors into missionaries when He can find people who will risk their lives for the gospel. If the Lord can get an Ananias to go to Straight Street, He’ll back up this Ananias with signs and wonders.

Those who profess their faith will “expel demons,” “speak entirely new languages,” “handle serpents,” “drink deadly poison without harm,” and cure the sick by laying their hands on them (Mk 16:17-18). God will give Ananiases power to remove scales from the eyes of Sauls, baptize them, and fill them with the Spirit (Acts 9:18).

Where’s the last place in the world you want to go and who’s the last person in the world you want to witness to? That’s your Saul. That’s where the power is, the victory, and the conversion of the “unconvertible.” That’s the opportunity to make your act of faith. The Lord says: “Go at once to Straight Street, and at the house of Judas ask for a certain Saul of Tarsus” (Acts 9:11).

Prayer: Father, I went by Saul’s house today but I was afraid to go in. I repent and go in Your name.

Promise: “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 in it will be condemned.” —Mk 16:15-16

Praise: St. Paul endured the doubts and even persecution of his fellow Christians for years after his conversion. Yet he humbly and patiently continued to spread God’s word with power.

Mk 16:15-18
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
15	And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature.	et dixit eis euntes in mundum universum praedicate evangelium omni creaturae
16	He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall he condemned.	qui crediderit et baptizatus fuerit salvus erit qui vero non crediderit condemnabitur
17	And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shall cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues.	signa autem eos qui crediderint haec sequentur in nomine meo daemonia eicient linguis loquentur novis
18	They shall take up serpents: and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay their hand upon the sick: and they shall recover.	serpentes tollent et si mortiferum quid biberint non eos nocebit super aegrotos manus inponent et bene habebunt

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Come, Holy Spirit

One Bread, One Body