The Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle (Feast)
I regained my sight. (Acts 22:13)
A devout Jew, Paul had been walking with God all his life. Still, he had a serious blind spot. He couldn’t see that the Christians he was persecuting were his brothers and sisters. He couldn’t see that this Jesus he was fighting against was the Messiah.
But then he encountered Jesus in a flash of light, and he became aware of just how blind he had been. Now he could begin the process of coming to see clearly.
It’s not hard to imagine how we too can walk around with blind spots—even after years of following the Lord. We might make unwarranted assumptions about some people because of the way they look. Past hurts or old prejudices might affect how we treat people. We might reflexively categorize people into “friends” and “enemies” or into “us” and “them.” And all this time, Jesus wants us to see people as he sees them, as beloved children of God.
Today, on the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, we conclude the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. From January 18–25 of each year, the Church invites us to join Christians from a variety of faith traditions around the world to pray for unity. We ask the Lord to open our spiritual eyes and help us see the face of Christ in every Christian, no matter what denomination they belong to. We ask him to remove blind spots that might be preventing us from relating to another believer as we would relate to a beloved family member.
Today, spend some time praying for Christian unity. Ask him to help you identify your blind spots in this area. But don’t only pray for yourself. Pray also for church leaders, that their eyes will be opened as well. Pray for other Catholics, especially those who have a hard time with the idea of unity. And pray for other Christians who are also resistant to reconciliation and change.
Our heavenly Father longs to see all of his children living in love and unity. He longs for the day when our love for each other becomes a witness to the whole world. May we all do our part to fulfill Jesus’ prayer “that they may all be one” (John 17:21)!
“Lord, open my eyes so that I see all believers as my brothers and sisters.”
Psalm 117:1-2
Mark 16:15-18
