Gospel Reading reflection for January 25 2014

Each story of conversion is always very unique from the others.This only shows how God knows each one of us personally, making things happen for us in ways that will make us realize how well we are loved by the one who made us. The conversion of Paul is something that can also happen to most of us, not only the atheists, agnostics, or free thinkers. The conversion can also happen to those who think they already know the Lord. Sometimes, being too familiar with God makes us think there is nothing more that we can offer him. We have given him everything. And then we go back to the things in this world that concern us and sometimes we think define us. 

I want to get to know the Lord over and over again. I want to see him in what I see around me, refresh myself with the memory of getting to know him the first time, by the breeze that I feel on my cheek, or the touch of the hand of my son around my neck, or the butterfly happily dancing in the air. I want to get to know him more each day and be assured of what the future has in store for me. 

Ps 117:1bc, 2
Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

1st Reading: Acts 22:3–16 (or Acts 9:1–22)
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cil¬icia, but brought up here, in this city, where I was educated in the school of Gamaliel, according to the strict observance of our law. And I was dedicated to God’s service, as are all of you today. As for this way, I per¬secuted it to the point of death and arrested its followers, both men and women, throwing them into prison.
The High Priest and the whole Council of elders can bear witness to this. From them, I received letters for the Jewish brothers in Damascus; and I set out to arrest those who were there, and bring them back to Jeru¬salem for 

punishment. But, as I was traveling along, nearing Damascus, at sky suddenly flashed about me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say¬ing to me: ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ I answered: ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me: ‘I am Jesus, the Nazorean, whom you per¬secute.’ The men who were with me saw the light, but they did not under¬stand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. I asked: ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord replied: ‘Get up and go to Damascus; there, you will be told all that you are destined to do.’ Yet, the brightness of that light had blinded me; and, so, I was led by the hand into Damascus by my com¬panions.

There, a certain Ananias came to me. He was a devout observer of the law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who were living there. As he stood by me, he said: ‘Brother Saul, recover your sight.’ At that moment, I could see; and I looked at him. He, then, said, ‘The God of our ances¬tors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Just One, and to hear the words from his mouth. From now on you shall be his witness before all the pagan people, and tell them all that you have seen and heard. And now, why delay? Get up and be baptized; and have your sins washed away, by calling upon his Name.’

Gospel: Mk 16:15–18
Then he told them, “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; the one who refuses to believe will be condemned. Signs like these will accompany those who have believed: in my name they will cast out demons and speak new languag¬es; they will pick up snakes, and if they drink anything poisonous, they will be unharmed; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”