A few weeks ago, I attended a biblical studies conference on St. Paul. It was entitled “The Gospel According to St. Paul.” I had never thought about St. Paul as an author of The Gospels. Yet, indeed that is who he was. And he is uniquely qualified to be addressed as such, with his immense background in the Scriptures and their predictions of the messiah. Paul had deep insight concerning the Old Testament passages that referred to the coming messiah, even before Christ revealed Himself on the road to Damascus. So it was with some excitement that I attended this event. It promised to be more than just another commentary on the subject. Three serious students of biblical theology were speaking: Dr. Scott Hahn, Dr. Brant Pitre, and Professor Michael Barber. There was no reason to fear disappointment in attending.
The first presentation by Dr. Hahn presented the question of Paul’s conversion - was he really converted? There are paintings so entitled, and we often mention his so-called conversion. In reality, Dr. Hahn suggests, Paul was simply called by the Messiah he had long awaited, and had served to the best of his ability and with great vigilance, hence his murderous mission to Damascus persecuting the Christians. It gave me pause to think about how often I pray for conversion. In the sense that I, like all sinners, need to turn from sin and realign my life with Jesus in faithful obedience to the Father, accepting the help of the Holy Spirit. Yes, I am praying for conversion.
But Paul’s encounter with the Risen Lord was really “a call.” Though very dramatic, involving three days of blindness, followed by healing and a whole transformation of life for Paul, it is still very much like the calls we receive each day in our own lives. For example, very much like the call I received inviting me to become a part of the University of Sacramento as adjunct faculty. Very much like the call from a parish to become part of an RCIA team, or to take over a catechism class for children. We are all writing little “gospels” according to our own lives.
It might be an interesting experiment to write down the number of people to whom you have spoken of Jesus and His Good News. Don’t limit the list to your family members only. Include non-Catholic friends to whom you have spoken of the wonderful news of your Catholic life. Include also the members of the parish you attend, the people you work with, the clerk at the grocery, and the other chance encounters you have throughout your everyday life. In the second column, next to the name, record what part of the Creed you spoke about. Paul was always about speaking the Creed. The Father who sent Jesus, Jesus who always did the will of the Father, the saving love of the Cross. What part of your belief did you speak aloud? (Remember that there are two who are listening: you and the person you speak to.) What we say aloud we embed more firmly in our hearts and minds. How firmly Paul embedded the Gospel is witnessed in the many trials he endured, and even his martyrdom. Speak the Word!
Finally ask yourself, what else is in the Creed that I do not speak? As Paul worked and traveled, he saw in every encounter a chance to speak the Gospel, to explain the Creed so that the Body of Christ would grow and live in grace. That kind of “conversion” – the knowledge and communication of the Gospel – is what we are all called to.
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