Friday May 1, 2009 of the third week of Easter

Readings: ACTS 9: 1-20 Psalm 117: 1-2 Jojn 6:53-59
Psalm Response: "Go out to all the world and tell the Good News"

This passage is the first of three tellings of the conversion of Paul. Armed with supeonas authorizing him to arrest and extradite members of the New Way, Paul took his mandate ratehr responsibly and set out with avengence to haul anyone professing belief in Christ's resurrection, back to the Sanhedran to face the criminal charges made against them by the Sadducees and Pharisees.
Paul was a strict Pharisee and adhered to the Law as no one else in his circle. When he approached the district of Damascus a bedrock of the Christian movement he came upon the crest of the knolls surrounding damascus. It wa shot and the cool breeze wafting the area caused and updraft. We here in Texas know the severity of the circling winds when the hot air and the cool breeze mesh. paul is said to have been tossed to the ground and blinded by the brilliance of the light surrounding him.
As he lay there not knowing what had happened to him, he heard a voice from around him asling, " Sauil, why are you persecuting me?"
Stunned, Saul asked, "Who are you sir?"
The answer came swiftly and succinctly , " I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting!
Now, into the city and you will be told what you must do!"
Unable to see, he was led to the house of Ananias a desicple of Christ. Ananias was hesitant to help Sauk as he had heard of the dastardly duty he was sent to do. However, Christ intervened and told Ananias, he must do what he disdains as paul would be His messanger and would suffer much because of His name.
Saul was Baptized, took the name Paul and henchforth becam e aleading spokesman for the Christian Faith.
We are called as was Paul tp preach the Good News to all the world. We do not necessarily, have the eloquence of Paul or Peter but our actions in concert with the teachings of our Church speak volumes of our faith and the hope we engender for all God's creatures.

As if to confirm Jesus'promise to give us His own flesh to eat and His Blood to drink, when the Jews pondered how He would accomplish this impossibility, Jesus repeated His words for the fourth time. If you do not eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink His blood you shall not have life in you.
When He was about to undergo crucifixion for our sins, He showed the depth of His love by instituting the Eucharist as the New Covenant all would have to follow to be His disciple.
When our ordained ministers call upon the Holy Spirit to change the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ,it isn't just a request, it is an actual chsnge without the physical dimension smoe people insit on.