3rd Friday of Easter, May 9, 2025
Acts 9:1-20; Ps 117:1-2; Jn 6:52-59
Once again, I have the opportunity to attend one of my grandchildren’s First Communion during Mother’s Day weekend. What an honor to be invited to witness Jesus’ invitation for all of us to receive Him! Especially for the first time! The last time I saw my grandson, he was preparing. He was proud to show us all he had learned about the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. I can’t wait to see him receive Jesus for the first time. As I was thinking about this, I flashed back to the Easter Vigil we had at our church. I was almost brought to tears seeing the Catechumens receive Jesus for the first time. To see their faces light up and be brought to tears is so wonderful to see. Watching the conversion these folks went through in their lives, and now see them fully participating in the sacraments. It’s a great reminder that this is a gift Jesus brings to all of us.
Today, we once again hear the story of St. Paul’s conversion. Dramatic and beautiful all on its own. Wouldn’t we all want a powerful conversion like that? I’m not sure I would want to get knocked down and lose my sight. Just to have the encounter with Jesus would be enough excitement for me! However, many of us do not experience that kind of a conversion. For many of us, it either started as a child at our own baptism, or some significant event in our life which drew us back to God. Sometimes it’s a slow process, taking years for our eyes to be opened, like the catechumens at the Easter Vigil. And, I can imagine, some are still wondering if they will ever have a St. Paul like experience.
I hadn’t thought about it much in the past, but when I read the story again, I thought of Ananias. What was Ananias thinking during all of this? He was a strong man of God, and dutifully answered “Here I am, Lord” when called. But I sense that he also had a moment of doubt. Seriously God? This man, Saul, is evil! He is persecuting and doing awful things to Jesus’ followers. And you’re asking me to go see him? But God persisted and Ananias obeyed. When Ananias went to see Saul, he made it very clear who sent him and what was to happen. Ananias was still sheltering himself from the situation, but also making it very clear who sent him there. We can be that way sometimes. We tend to hide behind our faith a little and say, “God told me to do this,” or “God said this…” and then we lack the boldness to tell the rest of the story. We seem to be waiting for the Saul experience on a road somewhere to bring our faith out of the shadows.
But, we can be bold. And we don’t need that roadside knocking down shakeup that Paul needed. All we need to do is proclaim the truth, and live our lives as Jesus has guided us. It takes strength to do that, and what better place to get that strength than from the Eucharist. Jesus tells us today that unless you eat of his flesh, and drink of his blood, you will not have life within you. As crazy as it sounds, it is the only way for us to be in union with Jesus. You want a roadside Paul experience? Come to mass, praise and worship God, and receive the Eucharist. What a beautiful way to express our own personal conversion. And that life you receive, will be with you forever. Just be ready to be knocked off your horse when you receive Jesus.
Saint James Catholic Church 