Readings for the Day: Paul

I've read commentaries saying that St. Paul was the greatest propagator of the faith. He really took to heart what Jesus said in the Gospel today, "Go into the whole world, and proclaim the Gospel to every creature." St. Paul seemed to have an abundance of energy, traveling to many places, writing many letters in order to spread and nurture the faith.

Thinking about the readings for today, I realized that Paul had always been enthusiastic about God, even before his conversion. In the first reading, Paul says, he was "educated strictly in our ancestral law and was zealous for God." That zealousness made him persecute the so-called Christians (and if I read it right, this included imprisoning and stoning some of them to death). 

I think it is this zeal which made it easier for Paul to convert. All along, he had that zealousness for God, a desire to do God's will. And all along, he thought he was doing God's will but when God himself said that persecuting Christians was like persecuting God, Paul began a process of redirecting his enthusiasm toward the propagation of the Gospel. 

I guess that's why Paul had to be blinded for a while so that he could be given new sight, a new way of seeing things, a new way of expressing his zealousness for God. Note how he says that he was educated in the ancient law, which probably meant the law before Jesus' reinterpretation of the law, which really wasn't that ancient. 

I guess the story of Paul is a story of hope. That if there is a sincere desire to serve God, then God will find a way to redirect our actions towards better service.