But Ananias replied,
“Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man,
what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem.
And here he has authority from the chief priests
to imprison all who call upon your name.”
But the Lord said to him,
“Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine
to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel,
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.”
Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes
and he regained his sight.
He got up and was baptized,
and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength. He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus,
and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues,
that he is the Son of God.

Acts 9: 13-20

Here are the complete readings for Friday, May 9, 2025.

(The Conversion of St. Paul)

Theodore James Ryken, the founder of the Xaverian Brothers, had a conversion experience in which he described being “put in his place.” This has been interpreted as a kind of humiliation but could also refer to a moment, and perhaps it was just a moment, of wonder and awe. He recognized his place as a child of God, and how near God actually is. Ryken was also inspired with religious people known as the Dutch mystics, who spoke about such moments of grace as “blic” that roughly translates to “lightning” or “flashing.” When we meditate on St. Paul’s conversion, perhaps we can consider not just the dramatic “blic” that he encountered on the way to Damascus, but his response to it. Saul didn’t have to become Paul, he had three days of being put in his place to think about what had happened, and then said yes to this extraordinary offer from God with no regrets. We may be conscious of our “blic” moments when they happen or perhaps will not comprehend to much later. We may not understand why we feel called in this direction, but then neither did Paul or Ryken. We don’t need to fully comprehend in order to get it.

Perhaps you can repeat
with your Founder
this simple prayer
which he cherished:
O Lord, I cannot understand your ways,
but I must adore them.
Above all else remember
that your God is forever faithful.

– The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, thank you for reassuring me that I don’t have to understand in order to know that you love me. Our lives are imperfect, and we make choices that result in shame. Despite our faults, you remind us that at the core of our being we are blessed and highly favored. Thank you for this day, and for the grace to contemplate how your love for us and our capacity to love others is greater than we can comprehend.

Amen