+ If you think Chapter 22 of Acts is an amazing story of conversion, well, then read the depiction of the same in Chapter 9; there are even more details, more surprises, more mystery, and grace and blessing!
God is doing the directing here, and his plans are clearly larger than life.
Paul — a devoted victimizer of the Christians, plotting and carrying out his plots to place as many as he could in prison.
This despicable activity on Paul’s part was, in his mind, a just and righteous thing he was doing.
But then God intervened.
God had other plans. God got in Paul’s face with a bunch of light. God spoke words that only Paul could hear.
Then God sent Paul — formerly Saul — on his merry way to a new life, a life in and with the Christ!
Wow! What a story.
And yet it only gets better.
Single handedly, by the power of God’s love and grace, Paul falls in love.
He sees and hears as never before. Even those who were afraid of him and found him to be this despicable soul, even they were called into being a part of his story of conversion.
And what a story that was.
Then Paul, once again with God’s Amazing Grace, went about converting the world under his new role as Disciple to the Gentiles.
Whatever apple he took a bite out of, gimme some of the same!
+ And so, we hear once again the story of the 11 — remember, one of the 12 had gone astray — and Jesus told them: “Go out into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every living creature.”
And more marvelous things are described as to what they will do, how they will do it; and just simply speaking, Wonders would Abound!
Do we hear these stories today as Good News?
Does the Amazing Grace so present touch us and fill us with hope and desires and confidence and an appreciation for all that this Good News has given to us?
Are we people of Grace? Does God’s word continue, each day, to touch us and deepen our own wondrous conversions?
Where and how are we going.
Is it “out into the whole world to proclaim the Gospel”?
Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.
