These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
(Jn 15:16)
The conversion of Saint Paul is so important in the life of the early church that the Acts of the Apostles has two separate accounts of the event. Saint Paul is a bit more circumspect. In the first letter to the Corinthians when others have questioned Paul’s claim to be an apostle, Paul simply asks, “Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” Saint Paul’s conversion is celebrated with great fanfare in Rome. On the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, the pope normally celebrates Mass at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. When my mom and I visited Rome in January, 1989, we attended the three-hour papal Mass at the Basilica, and mom met Pope John Paul II for the second time. The Mass began at 6:00 pm. At the homily, a chair was placed about six feet in front of my mom in her wheelchair, and the pope preached from that chair. He preached 30 minutes in Italian with his Polish accent. Needless to say, mom fell asleep, but when she began to snore, I had to give her an elbow!
As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat
along with the hired men and followed him.
(Mk 1:14-20)
Jesus never fails to interrupt our daily lives! And when the Lord calls, what else can we do, but drop everything and follow him!
Jesus came with his disciples into the house.
Again the crowd gathered,
making it impossible for them even to eat.
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him,
for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
(Mk 3:20-21)
When your family thinks you’ve lost it, you know you’re in trouble. But Jesus didn’t get discouraged, he didn’t give up. Now, Jesus invites us to be his sisters and brothers. Our family is huge!
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
R. Kindness and truth shall meet.
Show us, O LORD, your mercy,
and grant us your salvation.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Kindness and truth shall meet.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Kindness and truth shall meet.
(Psalm 85)
After all that we have been through in these troubled times, we need to hear a word of kindness and truth, a word of justice and peace, and the hope of God’s glory dwelling in our land.
Responsorial Psalm
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
(Psalm 40)
To do God’s will is our delight—is the lesson that the saints try to teach us. Saint Agnes is one of many young women who were martyred during the early persecutions. Their bravery in the face of torture and death is still remembered and celebrated.
