Saturday, January 24, 2009

Sunday, January 25, 2009

From A Year With Blessed James Alberione, Compiled by J. Maurus

Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle

     This is the only conversion celebrated in the liturgical year as it is the model for every conversion.  It is unique for the miraculous way it happened even in its external aspects.  For every conversion is a miracle of interior grace.
     The mind of St. Paul was converted:  a complete change of ideas.  We too must change our ideas.  It is necessary that we embrace the Gospel maxims.
     For cultivating and stirring up the new flame that had penetrated his heart St. Paul retired to the desert for three years.  We must convert our heart.  Put right our affections.
     Our heart must love Jesus, and the most holy Virgin.  We should become pious, humble and courageous.
     The will of St. Paul was also converted.  What should I do, Lord? (Acts 22:10).  One surrenders totally to the will of God.

From Saint and Thought For Every Day, by Blessed James Alberione

Conversion of St. Paul
Apostle

     The feast of the Conversion of St. Paul was introduced in the Church in the tenth century.  The story of the great Apostle's conversion is related in the first reading of today's Mass.
     Let us thank God for Paul, called a "vessel of election" and let us imitate him by promptly cooperating with all of God's graces.

The Grace of Conversion

     St. Paul gives us the example of a true conversion.  He is the patron of those who show good will, especially of those who earnestly strive to change from a life of indifference to a life of fervor.  He blesses every resolution towards a better life.  St. Paul's conversion was a miraculous one!  Jesus himself intervened in it and spoke words full of mystery.  In that mysterious light which enveloped St. Paul, he temporarily lost the sight of his eyes but gained the light of faith.
     In the second place, the conversion of St. Paul was exemplary.  True and lasting conversion involves a change of mind, will and heart.  To be converted, one needs light; there must be a profound self-examination and the formation of correct ideas and deep convictions.  In the third place, the conversion of St. Paul was for the good of the Church and of the people.

What Strikes Me Most Today

OK, not surprisingly, this is one of my favorites!  I do have a special attachment to the Conversion of St. Paul.  What struck me most in Blessed James Alberione's writings above was the phrase, "put right our affections."  The later phrase that we should become "pious, humble and courageous" sounds great, and we should definitely strive for that, but I especially like the practical advice of "put right our affections."  God must come first.  Anything else that I become too attached to that detracts from God I must put right, and make sure God is first.  St. Paul did just that after his conversion; all was for the Lord.  May we imitate St. Paul today and always.  Amen.

What strikes you most on this feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.  I hope you'll click on "COMMENTS" below to share your thoughts.
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Why?

Why a blog? Why St. Paul? Why do I think I have any business doing this?
We are all on a spiritual journey. We all want that journey to lead us to heaven, to eternity with God. For this journey, we need one another.
The journey so far has led me to read and learn about so many forms of authentic Catholic spirituality - Ignatian, Benedictine, Carmelite, Dominican, Franciscan, etc. My biggest problem was that I came to love each one tremendously. I began reading more and more, spending more and more time at the Daughters of St. Paul bookstore on Watson Road here in St. Louis. Who would have thought my greatest conversion story would take place in a bookstore? Mine was not quite as sudden or dramatic as St. Paul on the road to Damascus, but getting to know the Daughters of St. Paul affected me no less significantly.
The sisters are Eucharistic by nature. The first time I entered the chapel in their bookstore, the Blessed Sacrament was exposed and one of the sisters was on her knees, gazing at Christ, with an indescribably beautiful smile on her face. I had a glimpse of heaven. I knelt at one of the other kneelers and noticed on the wall behind the monstrance the words: "Fear not, I am with you. From here I want to enlighten. Atone for sin." I had that brief moment of absolute certainty that I was on the right path.
Over the last several years I have worked my way through as many books, CD's, DVD's and conversations with the Daughters of St. Paul that time has allowed. Time is at such a premium for all of us. Years ago we were told that with advances in technology we would have much more free time on our hands. We all know this has not been the case. Our lives are busier and more hectic than ever. Even if we are unable to find time to read good books, see enlightening movies or attend lectures and discussions, maybe we could all spend a little time on the internet supporting one another on our faith journeys. Many of you know more about many aspects of Catholic spirituality than I do.
Pope John Paul the Great called us all to a New Evangelization, to share the Gospel with the world. I am hoping we can all be St. Paul in this blog space by sharing Christ with one another and with others. St. Paul travelled to many foreign and often hostile regions to evangelize the world; we are fortunate to be able to use the internet to reach even farther and more quickly.
The idea of using today's means of social communication to spread the Gospel was given to Blessed James Alberione on the night between the centuries (December 31, 1900 - January 1, 1901). He was a 16 year-old seminary student adoring Christ in the Blessed Sacrament when a special light came to him from the Host. Following this, Blessed James Alberione became the founder of the Society of St. Paul priests, the Daughters of St. Paul, the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master, Sisters of Jesus the Good Shepherd, Sisters of the Queen of Apostles, and numerous institutes that are also part of the Pauline family.
So what is Pauline spirituality? In my experience, Pauline spirituality encompasses all the teachings of Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and love of all the other spiritualities and Saints of the Church. It is the members of the Pauline family who are the happiest people I know! It is loving God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit with all our hearts and souls, through the intercession of Mary, Queen of the Apostles, and St. Paul.
So why St. Paul? I can relate to St. Paul. We first meet him in the New Testament as a sinner. He has a thorn in his side that God decides is best not to take away. I sometimes wish I knew what that thorn was, but it's probably better I don't know. I like to pretend it is one of my many weaknesses or faults. If St. Paul could go from persecuting Christ and His Church to becoming the person responsible for spreading the Gospel and establishing the Church in foreign lands, the least I can do is start a blog. I have been especially inspired by my two favorite bloggers, Sr. Margaret Charles Kerry, fsp, and a Pauline Cooperator named Rae Stabosz. I believe Sr. Margaret and Rae are doing just what St. Paul and Blessed James Alberione would be doing with the internet.
In future blogs (which will be shorter than this first post!), I would like to share writings of St. Paul, Blessed James Alberione, and many others. I look forward to others sharing writings from other Catholic spiritualities and writers. An especially Pauline way of sharing is to point out to one another what aspects particularly speak to each of us.
Another Pauline trait is to pray for one another. My prayer is that we support one another on our path to holiness. Our goal is to glorify God in all that we do - so let's do it!