Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures the story of the moment when Saul the Pharisee, a great enemy and persecutor of the Church and the early Christians, was completely turned upside-down in his life as he experienced a dramatic encounter with the Lord Himself on his way to persecute Christians in Damascus, and henceforth, he embraced Christ as his Lord and Saviour, and not only that, but ever since, he became one of the greatest champions and defenders of the Church and the Christian faith, as known from his works later on as St. Paul the Apostle, Apostle to the Gentiles and the author of many Epistles recorded in the New Testament. At the same time, we also continue to hear the discourse of the Bread of Life by the Lord to the assembly of people in our Gospel passage today.

In our first reading, as mentioned earlier, we heard of the moment when St. Paul the Apostle in his earlier life as he was known by the name of Saul, a young and overzealous Pharisee, how he had persecuted the early Church and the Christian community in his ill-guided efforts and actions in rounding up and arresting everyone who believed in the Lord Jesus and in His teachings. Saul was thoroughly convinced, likely by his education and upbringing, that what he had done was righteous and good for the people of God, and that he was uprooting a heresy and blasphemy from the recently crucified Messiah, whom the Pharisees and many among the other members of the Sanhedrin like the Sadducees and the elders considered as a False Messiah, blasphemer and traitor to their nation and people.

But the Lord Himself appeared to Saul as he made his way to Damascus, in his zeal and effort to lead his so-called ‘Crusade’ against the Christian communities even beyond the traditional land of Judea and Galilee. That the Lord chose this man, who was a great enemy of the Church and one of its most ardent and hardened opponent to be the instrument of His will and works, is truly significant as it showed to us all that even the greatest of sinners, and all those who have opposed the Lord and made it difficult for Him and His works, all were not beyond His forgiveness, mercy and calling. Just as He Himself has forgiven all those who persecuted and condemned Him to death from His Cross, thus the Lord called even Saul from the depth of his crimes against the holy people of God, to walk into His Light.

Thus, we heard how this great enemy of the Church, the champion of those who were against the Lord and His works, was instantly experiencing a turnaround in his life and path, from being a stubborn enemy of the Lord to be among His greatest defenders. This is a story which would happen yet again and again, as throughout the history of the Church, there were indeed many of those who had turned from the path of sin and evil into the path of righteousness and virtue in God, and many of the Church’s great saints were once themselves great sinners and rebels who committed grievous sins and errors against God. Yet, what they all had in common is that each and every one of them like St. Paul embraced the Lord and turned away from their path of sin and evil, committing themselves to a new path and life in God, resolving not to sin any more and to be the good and worthy servants of God henceforth.

This is an important reminder for each and every one of us that no one is truly beyond the power and scope of God’s forgiveness, mercy and redemption. As long as one is willing to embrace the Lord’s love and forgiveness, His path and light, one can find his and her path towards reconciliation with God, Who has been ever full of love and compassion towards each one of us, all of us who are beloved and holy people of God, those whom He had called and chosen from among all in this world. Through Him and by sharing in His love and mercy, all of us will receive justification and grace, the freedom and liberation from all the bondage of the evils and sins that have kept us bound all these while. Through His ever enduring and present love for each and every one of us, we have been truly so fortunate because God has never given up on us, no matter how we have turned away from Him and rebelled against Him. We are all reminded indeed that there is a path towards His salvation and grace, and the choice is ours to make, whether we want to follow Him or not.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard the continuation of the discourse of the Bread of Life by the Lord, in which the Lord Jesus continued to tell the people who were listening to Him about the Bread of Life, Who is truly Himself, the One Who has come down from Heaven, from the Father, to show us all the eternal and ever enduring love of God, made evident and tangible to us, in the person of His own beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the whole world. Through Him, all of us have received the gift of forgiveness and redemption, liberation from the threat of unending and eternal death. By our partaking of the Most Precious and Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord, all of us have received the gift of the Bread of Life, the new life and existence which Our Lord Himself has provided to all of us. He has given us all the path to a new life with Him, just as He has called St. Paul to be His disciple and follower.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore remind ourselves of the Lord’s calling and His efforts in reaching out to us, as He embraced all of us sinners and gathering us all to His Presence. Let us all seek the Lord to thank Him for all the love which He has granted to us, and let us all hence renew our commitment to Him, to do His will and to embrace everything that He has prepared for us, out of His enduring love for us. Let us all answer His call as what St. Paul had once done, turning away from our sinful and wicked way of life, and embracing instead the fullness of God’s love and grace, knowing that it is in Him alone that we shall find lasting peace, justification and the path to salvation and eternal life. May the Risen Lord continue to guide us in our path and journey throughout life, and may He empower each and every one of us so that we may always be ever faithful in our journey towards the Lord, His salvation and grace. Amen.