Our New Testament reading recounts the story of St Paul’s conversion as he tells it to King Agrippa and as recorded by St Luke. This is one of three accounts of his conversion in Acts and this account has the most detail. We hear such details as what time of day it was – “midday” – and how bright the light was – “brighter than the sun” – and who fell to the ground – all those in Paul’s party – and even what language Jesus spoke – “Hebrew.” But we also hear the words of the Lord to Paul saying, “It hurts you to kick against the goads.” This commonly used Greek proverb refers to the pain experienced by cattle when they resist the sharply-pointed stick used to herd them in the desired direction. In other words, Jesus is telling Paul his persecution of the Church is like cows who kick at the cattle-prod. Paul is doing himself just as much harm as he is doing to Christians.
This is an interesting concept and one that leads to further reflection: persecuting the Church was harming Paul too. It was not good for him in terms of God’s plan for his life; Paul was not only ignoring his Vocation, which was bad, but was racking up mortal sin after mortal sin by helping kill innocent people. So, Our Lord intervened in dramatic fashion, revealed himself in his glory to Paul, and in doing so, revealed to Paul the Church as Christ’s Body – a recurring theme in many of Paul’s letters. Thus, Paul was converted to Christ and at the same time, converted to the Church! He didn’t become a one-man traveling missionary, a one-man itinerant preacher, a one-man apostle to the Gentiles, but rather, he entered into the communion – the koinonia – first of Ananias and the local Church at Damascus, and later to Peter, James, John and all the Church in Jerusalem. Paul is the Apostle to the Gentiles, but he is also Champion of the Church. He goes to Peter; he submits his Gospel to the review of the chief of the apostles; then united in their apostolic mission, they go to Rome – to the capital of the pagan world, following the command of Christ to spread the gospel to all nations, even to the ends of the earth.
Paul’s conversion therefore, is about the Church, and how it is one and apostolic. It is also about how the Church is Holy.
In verse 18, Jesus tells Paul that he is sending him to the Gentiles: “that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” This is holiness. To turn to the light of Truth, to have your sins forgiven, and to be sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ. This verse pretty much sums up why I became Catholic into the Ordinariate 10 years ago. I wanted to know the fullness of Truth, to know my sins were forgiven, and to become a saint. I recognized that Anglicanism lacked the full light of Truth but that Truth is to be found in its fullness in the Catholic Church. I also realized that I could never be sure if my sins were forgiven because Anglican priests’ orders were invalid and I was never receiving valid absolution in the confessional. I wanted to be sure my sins were forgiven, and the only way to be sure was through the valid sacrament of penance with and through the one priesthood established by Jesus Christ himself and present in the Catholic Church. I also wanted to be sanctified, to become a saint, and to be sure of the salvation of my soul, and I had many doubts if that could happen in the Anglican Communion. When I realized that all my doubts were banished by accepting that the Catholic Church was the true church founded by Christ himself – as St John Henry Newman calls it, “The Church of Christ” – all of this came together in my conscience to convict me that I must be received into full Communion with The Catholic Church.
That’s what the Ordinariates around the world are about. That’s what St. Alban’s is all about: Christian Unity. The Ordinariate of the Chair of St Peter is a missionary diocese, established for the purpose of healing the wounds of division among Christians – particularly among Anglicans, Episcopalians and other Protestants. Just as St. Paul was sent out as an apostle to the Gentiles, we in the Ordinariate are commissioned to be apostles to the baptized non-Catholics so that they might turn from darkness to light, receive the forgiveness of their sins, and receive a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Christ. The Ordinariate is what ecumenism is supposed to look like; what ecumenism is supposed to be. This is the single greatest act of Christian Unity since the Reformation!"
I became Catholic, because it is the Truth. Anyone who is sincerely desiring the Truth must inform their conscience, put aside any old prejudices they have, and be ready to admit that the end of their truth-journey involves a swim across the Tiber. And we who are Catholic must be there on that shore to welcome them. We must greet them, welcoming them home in love, not with a list of laws, rules, and obligations, but with thanksgiving for their humble disposition of faith, with thanksgiving to the Holy Spirit for moving them into full communion because we are not the architects of the Church’s communion; God is.
Let us continue to pray for all the baptized to see the full light of truth and enter into full communion with Christ’s Church, not just during this yearly octave, but every day, and not just because Christian Unity is a “thing” we are asked to pray for, but because Our Lord insists upon it: “that they all may be one,” he prays. We pray that we, like the earliest Christians, may be of one heart and one soul, holding steadfastly to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers [Acts 4:32 & 2:42]
Excepted from a homily by Fr. Nathan Davis, St. Alban’s pastoral administrator, at Solemn Choral Evensong on Jan. 25, the Conversion of St. Paul, held jointly by St. Alban's and Peace of Christ parish at St. John the Evangelist on Humbolt Street. If you're moved to inquire about joining the Catholic Church, please contact us to start the conversation with Fr. Davis.