St. Paul, in today's first reading, 1 Tim 1: 15-17, states the obvious; namely, that Jesus came into this world to save sinners and that he, Paul, is the worst of such. Recall that Paul was pursuing Christians to put them to death. He would, today, be a member of ISIS or of any group killing Christians. He would be a member of tribes in Africa killing other tribes, a member of gangs in any city out to destroy other gangs. He was not someone you or I would want to meet anywhere. He would be despised by most, hunted down by police, his face among the "Most Wanted" ones.
God knocks him down on his way to Damascus to seek out Christians. He finds him at his worst and transforms him into an apostle, His disciple. Jesus transforms the passion that he used against the gospel into a passion to spread the gospel. The ugliest sin in him--treating persons as objects to be destroyed--was transformed by grace. He now, through God's grace and mercy, works for the good of all, proclaiming the Good News of salvation. He becomes the Light and abandons the darkness.
You and I have the same choice. We, too, are persons who are sinners, who need God to intervene i our lives, turn us around often and put us on the right path.
How has God intervened in your life?
Thanks for making St. Paul more human...like people we read about or might even know.
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