A Chosen Instrument

April 11, 2008

Memorial of Saint Stanislaus, bishop and martyr

But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites, and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.” So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, “Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit.” Acts 9:15-17

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. John 6: 56-57

Piety

Let us pray: God, please help the scales fall from our eyes so we can see and understand the work that you want us to accomplish. Open our hearts like you converted your servants Paul and Ananias so that we, too, may become a chosen instrument to go out to all the world and tell the Good News, carrying your name to all people. Give us your bread of life to strengthen us -- accepting the suffering that we may bear in your name if we are knocked down from our high horse. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/041108.shtml

The road to Emmaus.

The road to Gaza.

And now, the road to Damascus.

There is no escaping the reach of the Lord. Wherever we go, He will find us. He will seek us out and He will commission us to do his work. He will find us in whatever condition we are in. Healthy or sick. Tired or energetic. Ready or not.

The disciples on the road to Emmaus were not ready for the Resurrection until their eyes were opened wide. The Ethiopian eunuch was eager for conversion and was ready, willing and able to profess his faith. Saul was a much tougher case. He was actively persecuting the followers of Christ and was indeed on a mission to bring more people in to the high priests. Christ had other plans.

While much emphasis on this story is placed on the conversion of Paul as “a chosen instrument,” there is another person who is a chosen instrument in today’s story – Ananias. When he hears what the Lord is asking of him, Ananias acts like a reluctant but obedient missionary, pushes back a little. He does not want to reach out to this persecutor. However, the Spirit inspires him to accept the challenge. Just like Peter was challenged by Jesus to overcome his denial before becoming the shepherd to “fee my lambs,” Ananias has to overcome his understandable human fear of this man who is capturing the Jews.

Action

With whom do you identify in today’s story? The persecutor or the reluctant missionary?

Many of us find it relatively easy to do some of the things that the Lord asks. Fill a shopping bag with food for brown bag Sunday. Go through your closets for clothes to donate to Goodwill. Pass on your books, records and other items to the white elephant sale. But do we accomplish the hard things that the Lord asks of us?

Do we consistently voice our support for life issues at ALL levels on ALL issues as the Church teaches?

Are we committed to the protection of life, which is threatened in today's world by war, abortion, poverty, racism, capital punishment and euthanasia?

Do we believe that these issues are linked under one umbrella?

Can we accept the challenge to work on all or some of these issues to maintain a cooperative spirit of peace, reconciliation, and respect in protecting the unprotected?