A Chosen Vessel (Conversion of St. Paul, Jan. 25) Mid-week Reflection

Carravagio's Conversion of St. Pau

A Chosen Vessel

(Conversion of St. Paul, January 25) 

Mid-week Reflection

“Don’t even try.  You can’t teach on old dog new tricks.  A leopard can’t change its spots.”  These bits of proverbial wisdom stem from peoples’ experience and the frustration we encounter in trying to change long held patterns of thought and behavior.   It is important to remember that while they describe what is often the case, they are not certain descriptions of human possibility. 

Today (January 25) is the commemoration of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who went from ardent persecutor of Christians to being Paul, the main Christian missionary to the Gentiles. 

Most of us know the story from St. Luke’s portrayal of the event in the Book of Acts:  

“And as he journeyed, it came to pass that he drew near Damascus: and suddenly there shone round about him a light out of heaven: and he fell upon the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute thou me? And he said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting: but rise, and enter into the city, and there you shall be told what you must do. And those journeying with him stood speechless, hearing the sound, but seeing no one.  Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he could see nothing.  They led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was blind for three days, and ate and drank nothing during that time.”  (Acts 9:3-9)

Ananias Restoring the Sight of St. Paul (c.1631) by Pietro da Corona.   

The story continues with a devout Jewish Christian, Ananaias, receiving a divine revelation telling him to visit Saul at the house of Judas on the aptly-named "Street Called Straight," where he is to lay hands on Saul to restore his sight.  Ananias, having heard stories of just how aggressive and abusive Saul is, does not want to do this.  He finally relents when God tells him, “Go ahead and do this, for [Saul] is a chosen vessel for me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. 

Acts tells the story two other times, both in speeches placed on Paul’s lips (Acts 22:6-21 and 26:12-18).  These tell the story differently and seem focused on attracting the audiences addressed by the speeches:  Acts 22 seems to want to establish Paul’s credibility to a Jewish audience by linking him to Ananias' good reputation in the Jewish community in Damascus, while Acts 26 seems aimed at attracting its Roman audience by its emphasis on loyalty and obedience to orders.

In contradistinction to Luke, Paul himself refers to his conversion a couple of times in his own letters.  In Galatians, he stresses that the revelation came from God and not from some human intermediary (like Ananias in Acts):  

For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being.”   (Galatians 1:11-16)

Despite this claim of having no human intermediary, Paul elsewhere sets his own conversion within the context of traditions that he had received from others:  

“For I passed on to you the tradition first of all that I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; that he was buried; that he rose again on the third day according to the scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then the Twelve; after that, he appeared to over five hundred of our family at once; of whom the greater part are still alive, but some have died. After that, he appeared to James; then to all the apostles. And last of all he appeared also to me, a monstrous child born at the wrong time, as it were.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) 

The great hope that the conversion of St. Paul gives us is this:  it is possible to change, even when you have a weight of experience telling you that you will always remain the same.  You can teach an old dog new tricks.   Or at least God can.  A leopard can change its spots.  Or at least God can make it so.  

But this is the result of serious "power from on high" and grace from God.  But it also stems from seeking the socialization and support from people living on the "Street called Straight," tradition-bearers like Ananias.   

Thanks be to God.  

--Fr. Tony+