OXYGEN

25 Jan – Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, apostle

St. Paul (3-65) was a Jewish Talmudic student and a Pharisee. He was a tent-maker by trade. Saul the Jew hated and persecuted Christians as heretical, even assisting at the stoning of St. Stephen the Martyr. On his way to Damascus to arrest another group of them, he was knocked to the ground, struck blind by a heavenly light, and given the message that in persecuting Christians, he was persecuting Christ. The experience had a profound spiritual effect on him, causing his conversion to Christianity. He was baptised, changed his name to Paul to reflect his new persona, and began travelling and preaching. He died a martyr for his faith.

- Patron Saint Index
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Acts of the Apostles 22:3-16

Paul said to the people, “I am a Jew and was born at Tarsus in Cilicia. I was brought up here in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was taught the exact observance of the Law of our ancestors. In fact, I was as full as duty towards God as you are today. I even persecuted this Way to the death, and sent women as well as men to prison in chains as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify, since they even sent me with letters to their brothers in Damascus. When I set off it was with the intention of bringing prisoners back from there to Jerusalem for punishment.

“I was on that journey and nearly at Damascus when about midday a bright light from heaven suddenly shone round me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ I answered: Who are you, Lord? and he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, and you are persecuting me.’ The people with me saw the light but did not hear his voice as he spoke to me. I said: What am I to do, Lord? The Lord answered, ‘Stand up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told what you have been apointed to do.’ The light had been so dazzling that I was blind and my companions had to take me by the hand; and so I came to Damascus.

‘Someone called Ananias, a devout follower of the Law and highly thought of by all the Jews living there, came to see me; he stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ Instantly my sight came back and I was able to see him. Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Just One and hear his own voice speaking, because you are to be his witness before all mankind, testifying to what you have seen and heard. And now why delay? It is time you were baptised and had your sins washed away while invoking his name.’”
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Mark 16:15-18

Jesus showed himself to the Eleven and said to them, “Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.
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Brother Saul, receive your sight

There are about 1 billion Catholics in the world today. That means that one in every six persons in the world today is a Catholic. In Asia alone, there are two countries in which the majority of the population are Catholic (East Timor and the Philippines). Some people I know believe that when the whole world become Catholic, the Lord will come again. But if we are to look at the two abovementioned countries, we will see that just because people are Catholic doesn’t mean that there will be justice, peace, and love for their fellowmen. The Philippines, for example, is known for its poverty and government corruption.

In today’s first reading, we compare two Jews. One is Saul, who studied under Gamaliel, a renowned Jewish rabbi. He knew the Jewish Law thoroughly and observed it strictly. However, he also persecuted the Christians before his conversion. Another Jew, Ananias, on the other hand, is described as a “devout follower of the Law”. Christians remember him as the one who laid hands on Saul who regained his sight.

The curing of Saul’s blindness is more than merely a physical miracle. It was also a spiritual miracle in which Saul came to understand the true meaning of the Jewish Law in the light of the Good News of Jesus Christ. He was converted and baptized a Christian while remaining a Jew.

With so many Catholics in the world today, it is hard to believe that there are still people in the world to whom the Good News has not been preached, and for whom the Gospel has never been a conversion experience. In the Singapore Catholic Spirituality Centre, literally hundreds of Catholics are drawn to the Conversion Experience Retreat. These are Catholics who have never experienced conversion; they have heard the Good News, but have not experienced Jesus. They have a religion, but they lack a faith. They are as blind as Saul was, and for many the Retreat heals them of their spiritual blindness.

There is therefore an important difference between religion and faith. Religion is a set of doctrines, beliefs and practices that unite people who believe in a particular way that God has revealed Himself to them. Faith is a relationship with God and for Catholic Christians, faith is a relationship with God in the person of Jesus Christ.

Jesus came into the world to reveal the Father to us, and He continues to reveal the Father to us even till today. One way He does that is through the Catholic Church, but it is not the only way.

Today, I invite you to spend some time reflecting on how the Church has helped you in having a meaningful relationship with God.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: Dear Jesus, we ask for Your Holy Spirit to reveal the Father to us today.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for the Church which reveals the Father to us through Jesus Christ.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 26 Jan – 2 Timothy 1:1-8 or Titus 1:1-5; Luke 10:1-9
Wed, 27 Jan – 2 Samuel 7:4-17; Mark 4:1-20
Thu, 28 Jan – 2 Samnuel 7:18-19. 24-29; Mark 4:21-25
Fri, 29 Jan – 2 Samnuel 11:1-4a. 5-10a. 13-17; Mark 4:26-34
Sat, 30 Jan – 2 Samuel 12:1-7a. 10-17; Mark 4:35-41
Sun, 31 Jan – Jeremiah 1:4-5. 17-19; 1 Corinthians 12:31 – 13:13; Luke 4:21-30